Sustainability
The word sustainability is derived from the Latin sustinere (tenere, to hold; sus, up). Dictionaries provide more than ten meanings for sustain,
the main ones being to “maintain”, “support”, or “endure”.
The current usage in mainstream society “Sustainability”
has emerged as a result of significant concerns about the unintended social,
environmental, and economic consequences of rapid population growth, economic growth and consumption of our natural resources.
Here at HW COFFEE CO. we are moving to become more sustainable
everyday.
We started in April/May 2011 during construction
- We reclaimed rough-cut lumber that was being thrown out /
rotting | Instead of buying new lumber for all applications, this Cherry wood
has become part of our service counter, supports, faceure wood and Condiment
bar with plenty of leftovers to build out in our upcoming new space along with
future outdoor fixtures.
- Recycled glass shelving and other materials in bar construction
- Selected low voltage, LED Lighting options.
- Reused Ceramic tile and other small piece left over materials from other
projects.
To further our continuing commitment to becoming a green company
We switched from our temporary paper product inventory shortly
after opening in May to
-100% Corn Based Hot Cups
-100% Corn Based Plastics, Cold Cups, All Drink lids, and Snap lid salad/bakery boxes.
-100% Recycled paper products, towels, toilet tissue, beverage containers etc.
-Dry espresso grinds from our dosing waste frequently are used by a local chef
for use in smoking meats and jerky
-Used grinds and recycled paper are composted by several local families weekly
(always looking for anyone in need of compostable refuse.)
-Using 100% Green certified cleaners, dish soap, glass cleaner and bleach
alternatives.
-Sorting Trash & Recycling all glass and plastic containers
-Working with our vendors to reduce incoming waste products.
-Teaming with environmentally conscious vendors.
-Recycling Cardboard boxes not used for shipping
-All Shredded paper used for packing and shipping materials
-We buy local products whenever possible to reduce need for extra transportation.