"Welcome to Five Senses Coffee"

Sustainability is a critical component of any business. A business should be able to survive the departure of the owner (either voluntarily or by the “bus theory”), any unforeseen changes in market conditions, and of course, be environmentally sustainable.

As a business, we feel that Five Senses has done a great job of treating people really well, be it staff, clients or suppliers. You could say it’s part of our business DNA. However, one thing we have struggled with is getting our environmental credentials in order. In many small to medium-sized businesses, the green agenda is often driven by a staff member with a particular interest in the environment and this permeates the rest of the business. If you don’t have that staff member with the David Suzuki book tucked under their arm driving the programme for you, there are some easy and painless tips to get you moving in the right direction.

Take some small steps and hopefully the programme will gain momentum. Increasingly, green credentials are an important factor in how businesses pick their partners. Don’t miss the boat!

Recycling bins

If possible move your recycling bins as close as possible to the lunch room and work areas. The easier it is to do, the more people will use the facilities. Be clear what goes into each bin and designate someone to monitor bin levels and cleanliness. Don’t forget that technology can be recycled as well.

Carbon offsets

If you have a small fleet of vehicles, or do a lot of traveling, you could go as far as getting carbon offsets for your entire fleet, or even just have a policy of ticking the carbon credit box for all flights. There are also car hire firms which supply all hybrid vehicles or employ other means of offsetting their fleet, so do the Google homework and support the businesses that look after the environment.

Power usage

Turn lights off in empty offices during the day, and certainly overnight. Switch off desktops at the power point and use the air conditioning sensibly. If the staff have to wear jumpers inside in summer, you can probably turn the thermostat up a little.

Packaging

Few things scream “waste” as loudly as the plastic containers you use for take-away. Opt for packaging that is made from materials which decompose quickly, such as Bio Cups, or anything made from sugar-cane waste.

In the bathroom – Just like computer and notebook paper, there is a whole range of earth friendly toilet paper products available, everything from bleach free varieties to those made from recycled paper. Also consider the new Airblade hand dryer from Dyson. It does the job in half the time with half the energy.

Coffee

We can all probably say that we throw away a lot of coffee grinds at the end of the day. Did you know that there are numerous ways to put this waste to good use? A few common (and some not so common) ways to recycle your grinds:

• Touch up furniture and other wood scratches with grounds and a cotton swab.
• Sprinkle around areas where pesky insects, slugs and snails dwell to drive them away.
• Mix with soil as a natural fertilizer for plants.
• Dye clothing or paper.
• Rub into your dog as an organic flea dip.
• Fill old nylons and hang in your closet or fridge to repel odors.
• Scrub away grease and grime from pots and pans.
• Throw on ashes before cleaning out the fireplace to reduce dust from spreading.
• Feed to worms to help with your garden.
• Mix ¼ grinds with one egg white and massage onto face like a mud pack.

Start to be conscious of how much energy, water, and products in general you or your café are using, and think of ways to reduce. Many energy saving techniques may cost more money up front, but the energy saving can pay you back before you know it. Do the math and do your part to be a sustainable business. It feels good to be green.