Explore some of our goals as sustainable coffee roasters in 2023 and how we actively look to make positive environmental impacts.

When we started Bristol Twenty Coffee Company, we knew that we wanted quality and responsibility to define us. However, when we took the leap to roast our own coffee in 2014, that idea of responsibility became paramount. We had to decide how to maintain a focus on quality coffee while being responsible members of the complex supply chain that is coffee. As sustainable coffee roasters, we have a responsibility in the industry to lead the way in positive change.

Now 9 years later we are just as passionate, if not even more so about being a fully sustainable company. As a result, each year we revisit how we can improve our environmental impact. In conclusion to everything that has gone on in 2022, we have set ourselves some goals for the year ahead. We hope this encourages you to look at your own business. In short, see if there are any goals you could work towards this year to be more sustainable.

Our Coffee and Packaging

With the introduction of the new sugar cane decaf coffee in January, we will be 100% traceable on all of our coffees. Ensuring we have good relationships with the growers and they are getting paid properly and using the correct farming methods. 

Although our packaging is recycled and recyclable we would like to further reduce waste. We are introducing Riverford-style delivery boxes that we can drop off and collect rather than be recycled. On our local deliveries, this will be easy similar to our reusable coffee tubs. All of our packaging is now plastic free, we reuse waste cardboard as packing material. As a business, we will continue to look for ways of reducing waste from the packaging that we receive

Our Vehicles and Delivery

Bristol Twenty has started converting the car fleet over to electric. This will continue as we replace them. In the mean time, we have also switched our vans over to newer more efficient euro 6 engines (currently there are no electric vans that will do the mileage we need with the weight we carry). However, it does mean that we are lowering our emissions and increasing their efficiency. It also allows us to enter Bristol & Bath’s low-emission zones. The newer vans get almost twice the mileage as our previous diesel vans.

Local deliveries are now being done by electric vehicles and we are slowly expanding the area as we increase the fleet. We have tried to stop using couriers for anything other than the very far-afield ones as they are so inefficient

Applying to be B Corp Certified for 2023

B Corp Certification measures a company’s entire social and environmental impact and is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. As a sustainable coffee roasters, this is one of the next big certifications to help recognise our environmental efforts.

Suppliers, Education and Zero Waste

Any new suppliers will have to have the same approach to sustainability and carbon neutrality as us. We will also be looking to change older suppliers to meet these requirements. Something that is required to become a carbon net zero company. Additionally, we continue to look at reducing waste and increasing recycling, reusing etc. Likewise, we will start to offer people to collect used chaff from the roaster for use in the garden as mulch free of charge.

We have joined a research programme led by the Economic and Social Research Council in conjunction with the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to assist the government in understanding the priorities and needs of SME’s in the transition to carbon zero.