Our  Journey

We are committed to socially responsible and environmentally friendly business practices. In 2007, we became New Zealand's first carbon neutral coffee company, participating in the Landcare Research carboNZero^{Cert TM} programme and in July 2009, became certified carbon neutral.

Steps to sustainability

view carboNZero programme acknowledgement certificate (248KB)

The carboNZero^{Cert TM} programme has its detractors, as it is seen as a way for organisations to buy a good emissions profile. This is an understandable argument, and was our first response. When we did our initial investigation it became apparent this was not true. One of the major requirements of the carboNZero programme is that the organisation must reduce emissions, and continually report on those reductions. For many organisations emissions are the result of a vital process within the organisation and they cannot be stopped overnight. It is a step by step process of reducing emissions and one day getting to the point where their emissions are inconsequential or eliminated entirely.

Zero Waste to Landfill - reducing, reusing and recycling waste

While managing business waste requires extra effort we are committed to doing just that. Since we have started a process of managing our waste the total volume has reduced by about half.   

The order, reduce, reuse, and recycle expresses the order of importance of these ideas and as such recycling is the leased preferred option. Reducing the generation of waste is seen as the ideal.

We aim to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible.

Reduce

Reduce needless consumption and the generation of waste. We try to buy products in larger quantities so there is less packaging, or give preference to products with less packaging. Where possible we ask our suppliers to supply products with less packaging. If all customers were to ask about reduced packaging suppliers may listen.

Reuse

Find uses for things you normally discard. There are organisations that collect and reuse products such as computers, electronics. Consult your local council or check out the yellow pages for reuse centres. The Wellington City Council is trialling an exchange programme, go to there website to check it out.

Rather than throw out used coffee sacks we sell them on our website.  People use them for all sorts of things such as wall hangings or pin boards. We also reuse some packaging so if you get an old knocked around parcel from us remember it is reused.

It is also a good idea to invest in rechargeable batteries and a battery charger. In the long run it is cheaper and better for the environment.

Recycling

Where possible we recycle the remaining waste and buy recycled products.

We have recycling containers readily available so it is easy to recycle. If we don’t have containers available recycling doesn’t happen, it’s as simple as that.  It isn’t always possible to recycle everything that remains. For dangerous or hazardous waste visit the Wellington City Council and Hutt City Council websites.

You can also get recycling picked up from your business. Businesses in central Wellington have free cardboard pick-up on a Tuesday evenings. If you prefer to have your recycling picked up go to the yellow pages there are a number of local recycling businesses available. The Wellington City Council runs a recycling station at the Southern Landfill where you can drop off large quantities of recyclables there for free.

It is also very important to recycle food waste. When food waste is sent to landfill it rots and produces methane gas and toxic leachate. Methane gas is a contributor to global warming and climate change. There are a number of methods you can use to dispose of food waste. We are currently trying the Bokashi method and worm farming, much to our sons delight.

Where possible we buy recycled products. All our coffee is sold in recycled paper tin tie bags.

Roasting Organic and Fairtrade coffee beans

We prefer to roast organic and fair trade coffee however this is not always possible as some of our customers prefer the characteristics only available in other beans. We hope this will change as a greater selection of organic and fair trade beans become available.

Why we roast organic coffee

We roast organic coffee to benefit the environment and for the health of the coffee farmers and their families.

Organic coffee is grown and produced without the use of dangerous chemicals. Instead, farmers approach farming as a working ecosystem using composting, terracing, and natural pest controls. This benefits the environment, produces less waste and promotes a good habitat for wildlife. Ultimately it makes soil more fertile resulting in even better quality coffee.

While most experts agree that the chemicals found on non organic raw coffee are burned off during roasting,  choosing organic over conventional coffee promotes the health of farmers their communities and the environment by decreasing exposure to toxic chemicals and keeping chemicals out of the atmosphere and water supplies.

At Celcius we hope to eventually complement our existing range of organic teas and coffees with an even wider choice of organic products.

Why we roast fairtrade coffee

We are committed to the principals of fair trading and ensuring that coffee farmers and their communities get a fair deal.

Prices paid to coffee farmers have traditionally been kept low by monopoly or market manipulation. This has a dramatic effect on the farmers and their communities. Fair trade is about working together to change these injustices.

Many coffee farmers in poor communities sell coffee beans to their local wholesalers who auction the beans to international traders. They in turn sell the beans to roasting companies who sell the roasted coffee directly to consumers or retailers.
 
Fair trade works by farmers forming co-operatives and selling their products directly to international traders. The local wholesalers disappear from the chain, bypassed by the direct link between farmer and trader.

The farmers must meet rigorous criteria including running their operation democratically and using practices which protect the environment.

Fair trade means farmers receive fair prices, stay out of high-interest debt and become more self sufficient. They can support their families and communities.

Fair trade also empowers the consumer to make ethical purchasing choices. Every coffee drinker can now be part of a social justice movement through something as simple as buying coffee.

To make that choice look for the fair trade label next time you go shopping – or simply go to our online shop and order our delicious, freshly roasted Celcius fair trade coffee.

Locating our roasting operation where it will not impact on residential communities

While freshly roasted coffee smells wonderful, the aromas given off during the roasting process are not so good. Coffee roasting operations can impact on suburban areas so we carefully selected a site well away from domestic dwellings to ensure the process did not adversely impact on the community