All Things Sustainable

by Dazzia Szczepaniak

Here at Café Mam we are continually striving to have as gentle an impact on the Earth as possible. This can be difficult at times and there are many ways we can still grow towards being a “green business.” Nonetheless, we have had many successes in keeping with our aspiration to be sustainable.

Sustainability is described as having three key elements: environmental, social, and economic. All three of these aspects are always intertwined, and this is beautifully demonstrated at Café Mam.

In the environmental realm we are wholly dedicated to the organic movement. All of our coffee is 100% organic; which means that it is grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals. This ensures the health of the planet, the growers, and you! We also donate 2% of sales to pesticide reform groups.

Café Mam is shade-grown and bird-friendly! The growers of Café Mam coffee preserve the jungle canopy by growing in the shade, which encourages a biological diversity of plants and animals vital to migratory bird populations. Farmers build terraces to conserve rainwater and reduce run-off, which protects paths and creeks and prevents erosion.

Our decaffeinated coffee is processed using the Swiss Water Process. This certified organic procedure uses only pure water to remove the caffeine, resulting in great tasting coffee that is never subjected to chemicals.

We are dedicated to using environmentally friendly packaging, which most of you are well aware of. We have chosen to use a non-bleached, paper, Kraft bag with a glassine lining to package the bulk of our coffee in. Because of its glassine lining, it is 100% recyclable and can be put into your paper or cardboard recycling at home. Most coffees that you find on the shelves these days come packed in either Mylar (a type of polyester) packaging or paper bags that are coated with a plastic lining; these go straight to the landfill.

Another exciting packaging option that we have developed is our totally recyclable steel can. Steel is the most recyclable material available, and each can already contains at least 30% recycled steel. The aluminum peel-off end cap has a gas release valve built in and is also recyclable. The paper label, which is recyclable, is made from 100% post-consumer recycled office paper with no bleaching or chemicals. And, to cap it off, the plastic lid is recyclable. Better yet, the can is also reusable.

We are now offering a 100% compostable paper cup for our wholesale café accounts. This product was the first biodegradable hot paper cup manufactured in the United States! The cup is lined with a vegetable-based coating, is processed using non-chlorine bleach, and is printed with water-based inks.

In-house we are committed to sourcing the most environmentally friendly office products available. One of which is the paper that all of your invoices are printed on. It is produced using 100% post-consumer office waste that has not been de-inked or re-bleached.

And finally, our local and statewide deliveries are primarily done using bio-diesel.

Our environmental dedication goes hand and hand with our social and economical commitments. Café Mam supports farmers who have made a commitment to better their social and natural environment. We are 100% committed to purchasing only Fair Trade produced coffee; this guarantees that the farmers receive a fair price for their harvest. In turn, they are able to stay on their land, keep their children in school, build health clinics, and make improvements to their land and farming equipment. These are all critical features of a holistic approach toward sustainability.

At Café Mam, we also strive to be forward thinking in our approach to sustainability. In this way we have many ideas that we’re working with, from greening our building to bio-diesel shipping fleets to paying higher-than-average fair trade coffee prices.

These are only some of the ways that you, as a supporter of Café Mam, are also supporting the movement to bring our Earth back into balance.