Sustainability
At FreshGround, sustainability drives our actions and decisions across all aspects of our business. We strive to protect our environment, champion sustainability and to have transparent and ethical governance.
FreshGround’s commitment to sustainability
We care — and know that small ripples can make green waves. That’s why our suppliers, clients and teams all champion sustainable practices. And we’re conscious of nurturing sustainable relationships with local communities; as well as the coffee industry at large.
Here’s a breakdown of how we are doing our part to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are other SDGs that we are working towards, but we can confidently say we have met these four goals and continue to hold ourselves to them.
Goal 7 of the UN Sustainability Development Goals aims to:
“Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.”
FreshGround is aligned by:
Our Norwich facilities are powered by solar energy, reducing our reliance on non-renewable sources.
Goal 9 of the UN Sustainability Development Goals aims to:
“Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.”
FreshGround is aligned by:
Our ULEZ-compliant fleet of vans and cars helps cut emissions and reduce our carbon footprint.
We have committed to transitioning to all electric vehicles
Goal 12 of the UN Sustainability Development Goals aims to:
“Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns to reduce waste and environmental impact.”
FreshGround is aligned by:
Circular Economy: We refurbish our coffee and water machines to extend product life cycles. We also recycle damaged components that can no longer be used.
Our water dispensers are plumbed-in, eliminating single-use plastics.
Goal 15 of the UN Sustainability Development Goals aims to:
“Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, combat desertification, and halt biodiversity loss.”
FreshGround is aligned by:
Through our partnerships with coffee farmers in Brazil, we support rewilding projects and conservation in one of the most critical regions for global biodiversity.
What other SDGs is FreshGround working towards?
Lastly, we want to highlight our ongoing efforts. Through our socially responsible coffee brand Ricco Fabio, we ensure coffee farmers receive a fair deal, free from exploitation and bad working conditions, and more importantly empowering them economically. This is helping us move towards alignment with SDGs 1, 8, and 10.
We are incredibly proud of where we are at now, and all the hard work that has gone into aligning FreshGround with the UN’s SDGs. But there is always more that can be done to minimise our impact on the planet, and we will continue to review our processes to pursue greater sustainability.
All of our machines are part of the circular economy
Watch the video below to learn about how FreshGround machines fit into the circular economy as one part of our sustainability initiatives.
Recycling coffee grounds
What are the sustainable options when it comes to the end waste product of the office coffee process?
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Recycle the grounds
The UK produces a quarter of a million tonnes of waste coffee grounds so we encourage our customers to partner with companies like Envar Composting to help reduce this. Envar transforms coffee grounds into fuel logs and soil improvers to create fertilisers and more.
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Send them off
Envar composting send off used coffee grounds to their recycling factory in Cambridgeshire
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The process
The grounds are dried, renewing them for reuse in valuable products to benefit both people and the planet.
Discover More: The 5 best ways to use old coffee grounds
Energy-efficient coffee machines
All of our coffee machines are rigorously tested to ensure they run efficiently, and come with energy-saving features. This means you’re using much less power than with an office kettle. Our machines keep up to date with sustainable technology — helping you reduce your carbon footprint and meet ESG standards.
Eco benefits of water dispensers
All of our water dispensers are plumbed-in, rather than bottle-fed. This cuts down on single use plastics, making the water dispensers in your workplace better for the environment, and greatly reduces your organisation’s carbon footprint.
Sustainability in our water dispensers
Energy saving equipment
Just like our range of office coffee machines, FreshGround’s water dispensers and taps have high-efficiency ratings and energy-saving functionality as standard. Helping the environment, while reducing your energy bill.
Eliminating single-use plastics
We do not offer water coolers made from single-use plastics (the old-fashioned way). This means no plastics in landfill; plus no emissions caused by bottle production and their transport.
Reusable cups
All sustainable workplaces need reusable cups and bottles. That’s why we encourage our clients to enjoy their coffee and water, time and time again, without harming the environment in the process.
Sustainability in facilities and operations
We’ve implemented a number of green initiatives across our offices. Our head office is powered entirely by our on-site solar farm. We have PhotoVoltaic panels on the roof that capture the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity. We’re 100% self-sufficient during office hours and any extra energy, we simply sell back to the grid.
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Company vehicles
We’re reducing our carbon footprint and continue to review our travel policy. We promote the use of electric transport and have electric car charging facilities on site. Our company vehicles are in the process of being replaced with either electric or hybrid vehicles in line with Government policy and timelines. Our fleet of technician vehicles is also Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) compliant to reduce the impact on the environment in London and other urban areas.
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In the office
In the office, we have installed auto-switch lighting. All of our lighting is activated via motion sensors making us more energy efficient. If no one’s down the far end of the office, we don’t need to turn the lights on! Likewise, there’s no worry about forgetting to hit a light switch, as the system powers down automatically when we’re gone.
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Packaging
Our team is committed to operating more sustainability and as such none of our waste goes to landfills. All of our outer packaging is made from FSC accredited recycled cardboard. Any non-environmentally friendly packaging materials have been audited and replaced with recycled and recyclable alternatives, where possible. We have a target to be 100% recyclable.
Our sustainability ethos
A copy of our Environmental Policy is available upon request. Simply contact Alun Simpson, Head of Legal & Compliance alun.simpson@freshground.co.uk to receive your copy.
