Around the time when most of us savor the last moments of winter and get ready for the bloom of spring, we appreciate the beauty of this Earth just a little bit more than usual. Changing seasons always seem to highlight the incredible details and intricacies of nature.
Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, and with it comes feelings of extreme gratitude - but also worry. The problem of climate change is more real than ever before, threatening all the beauty we take for granted. In 1970, Earth Day marked the start of the modern environmental movement, raising awareness about the state of our planet. Although Earth Day may have passed, we believe Earth Day should be celebrated every day because we must care about our planet more than just one day out of the year.
Understanding the impact High Brew Coffee has on the planet is at the heart of everything we do. We choose to purchase our coffee from the highest quality sources with less environmental impact on our earth. Basically, we believe Earth Day should be every day!
How High Brew Celebrates The Earth
Climate change has had a significant impact on the coffee industry, making sustainability efforts a priority for High Brew. So what does sustainable coffee mean?
Coffee can only be grown in a select few regions– confined to South and Central America’s tropical climates. This limitation poses a threat of deforestation as the demand for coffee farms expands the destruction of tropical rainforests. Not to mention some coffee farmers have begun using pesticides, causing detrimental damage to the soil.
The way coffee is processed also impacts our Earth. Wet-milling is the first step used to turn the coffee fruit into a green coffee bean. Unfortunately, this process uses a ton of water and can contaminate surrounding bodies of water.
If not cultivated correctly, your regular cup of joe can actually do a lot of harm to mother nature. That’s why High Brew takes sustainability so seriously.
High Brew is proud to say that our Direct Trade partnership promotes environmental, economic, and social change - targeting all 3 pillars of sustainability. The 3 pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) are also referred to as planet, profits, and people.
Planet: This pillar refers to the importance of a company being environmentally sustainable. From sustainable packaging to reducing carbon emissions to conserve natural resources, there are many different factors that make a company more sustainable.
People: Any sustainable business should support its own employees and community by being socially responsible. This can come down to providing employees with flexibility, opportunities, and resources.
Profit: For some companies, profit ranks at the top of their priority list. To be sustainable, money cannot be held higher than people or the planet.
Direct Trade Partnership
Our Direct Trade coffee partners located in the Antioquia region of Colombia compromise about 65,000 acres of coffee farms. High Brew worked with our Direct Trade partners to construct three Mirco-Wet Central Mills, centralizing the production of our coffee to one large facility. Why does this help?
- It takes away the intense labor of wet milling from each individual farmer, so they are able to focus on growing higher quality coffee, allowing them to turn a higher profit with less physical labor.
- Outsourcing this process decreases water usage from 30 liters to 3 liters of water per pound of coffee.
- Water purification at the Micro Wet Central Mills saves over 20mm liters of water annually from contamination.
Day to Day Environmental Sustainability
We are always looking for ways to improve our environmental sustainability - from the company level to the individual level. Small changes may seem unimportant, but if done collectively, they can make a remarkable difference in saving the earth. We’ve rounded up some things you can do on Earth Day (and every day) to be more environmentally conscious.
Invest in Reusable Items
Ditch plastic bags and plastic bottles by swapping them out with reusable items. Store a reusable bag in your car for runs to the grocery store and farmers market. While you’re at it, fill up a reusable water bottle to hydrate your day!
Get Creative
“Trash” can become a treasure! We celebrate recycling items that may seem ready for the trash bin and turning them into something one of a kind. Try turning old High Brew cans into planters, donating your used items to a thrift store, or revamping your used objects through easy DIYs.
How can I turn a High Brew Can into a planter? Just cut the top of your High Brew can with a can opener, fill it with soil, and add your plant of choice.
Get Gardening
Consider filling your new High Brew planter with veggies. Growing your own garden can save you money and reduce food waste. You don’t have to be a green thumb to get started! Start with a small herb garden on your windowsill and go from there. Plus, gardening can do wonders for your well-being, allowing you to get outside and in touch with nature!
Appreciate The Great Outdoors
Taking a hike or strolling around our neighborhood gives you a front-row seat of all the beauty our Earth has to offer. Appreciating our planet and recognizing how sacred it is, is one step toward saving it for future generations. Doing your research on how to be more environmentally conscious can help you choose what works best for your lifestyle!