What’s your go-to coffee order? Whether it’s iced with a splash of oat milk or just black, one thing is for certain: It’s poured into a cute travel mug (no one-time use cups if you can help it). Up next on your sustainable agenda? Ensuring the coffee has been made as sustainably as possible—for the benefit of people and the planet.
And the best bet for an eco-friendly brew begins with beans. Coffee lovers drink about 2.25 billion cups a day globally—and about half of the current suitable areas for coffee growing could be lost due to climate change by 2050, according to a 2022 study. That’s a lot of demand and a lot of strain on the environment.
But there's movement afoot to make the path from crop to cup more sustainable, and it includes regenerative processes such as more environmentally friendly harvesting practices and recyclable packaging—all major shifts supported by Walmart, which is tapping key players in the supply chain to help do all of the above. That’s where Westrock Coffee, an ethically sourced coffee supplier and brand sold at Walmart, comes in.
Beyond sourcing the beans, Westrock has set goals for the full eco-friendly circle: recycled packaging, facility design, goods transportation, and landfill and water usage. “In addition to our work on climate change mitigation on farms, we are extending our environmental focus to include reducing our consumption of water and energy, reduction of waste, and mapping our carbon footprint,” says McLaughlin. “This, alongside our continued commitment to developing recyclable and compostable packaging options will help shape our future goals.”
Want to brew a more earth-friendly cup? McLaughlin has five key points for folks looking to take their lattes to greener pastures—right from your own kitchen.
Do you know where your cappuccino actually comes from? “Do a little research before you buy your coffee—know that the brand [you are] purchasing sources from farms that are environmentally sustainable,” says McLaughlin. This is where companies like Walmart come into play. “Westrock could not ask for a better partner than Walmart when it comes to ‘doing the right thing’ for the entire supply chain—from the farmer producer to the end consumer.”
1. Do your research
“Use a reusable cup whenever possible to reduce your coffee waste footprint,” McLaughlin says. Easy enough to do at home—just remember to stash that cute reusable travel mug in your bag so you don’t fall into the on-the-go trap.
2. Reach for a reusable cup
Follow the cup to compost rule. “Coffee grounds are a great addition to your kitchen compost bin,” McLaughlin says. Don’t have a compost bin? Many farmer’s markets accept compost (just store your grounds along with veggie scraps in the freezer until you’re ready to drop them off).
3. Compost your coffee waste
Making and consuming sustainable coffee is a win-win, but there’s room for improvement in your clean-up routine, too. Wash up your mug or tumbler with an eco-friendly detergent, says McLaughlin, to upgrade the whole earth-conscious regimen.
4. Green your clean-up routine
Packaging, cartons, and even plastic pods can be recyclable. “Recycle the cardboard carton and, if your local recycler allows, recycle your plastic pods as well,” McLaughlin says. Read up on your local recycling guidelines to make sure everything you throw in your bin will be accepted—then cheers with your mug, because eco-friendly change is brewing.
5. Recycle, recycle, recycle
“The global need for a more equitable, sustainable, and transparent coffee industry is as much an economic concern as it is a humanitarian one,” says Elizabeth McLaughlin, Executive Vice President of Sales at Westrock Coffee. “Every product we consume has measurable carbon emissions and hundreds of people involved in growing, processing, and packaging them. Switching to a more ethical cup means you are choosing to reduce your impact on the environment and promote social equity and safe working spaces every time you drink coffee.”
Westrock set out to do just that in Rwanda in 2009, and has since expanded to working with 1.5 million farmer partners in 35 origin countries across the globe. Now based in Arkansas, the company supplies coffee, tea, and extracts to countless java brands. A key part of the mission is to support both ends of a regenerative supply chain, starting with how raw materials are sourced to how the end result is packaged.
“In 2021, Westrock committed to responsibly source 100 percent of the company’s coffee and tea by 2025, meaning we will work with suppliers and in the coffee field to ensure our products are purchased and processed in a manner that is fair to the people who grow and handle it, their employees, peers, and [the] environment,” McLaughlin says.
Photos by Sara Reeves Photo
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