S8: E8
Guest: Dani Taube
Role: Marketing Coordinator
From: Wausau, WI
Online: www.roastar.com • @roastar on Instagram • https://linktr.ee/roastar/
As consumers, we depend on the companies we choose to support to be making decisions that we think will fall within an acceptable ethical window. For example, I buy Guittard brand chocolate chips.
I do so because, in addition to being a California-local business (5th generation, family-owned!), they put forth a responsible cocoa sourcing effort through their Cultivate Better Cocoa program. Chocolate is a notoriously corrupted industry, and finding a company actively working to subvert that is important to me.
I feel the same way about coffee, but sourcing isn’t the only place where sustainability comes into play. There are so many steps in the chain to consider, including packaging.
If you want to spiral down a rabbit-hole, I challenge you to make a comparison list of all the ways your cup of coffee creates a positive, neutral, or negative impact. I’ll do the same. I bet I can fill the page.
Dani is one of the people at Roastar doing just that type of brain-storming to find ways to reduce the company’s, their clients, and our impact before we even pick a bag of coffee off the shelf at our favorite coffee roasters.
There are so many things to consider when trying to prevent waste in the lifespan of a product or a package. Doing foundational work in creating the original package and working to advise and educate clients allows Roastar to play an integral role in helping us minimize the impact of our passion for coffee.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
It’s a really challenging thing to talk about when the rules are constantly changing where you are, and those rules are different when you cross over the various borders between towns, counties, states, and countries. It’s a combination of the technology to actually recycle, the community’s will to recycle, and the ability to educate consumers.
Dani’s passion for sustainability has led her to this role with Roastar. She was originally hired in customer service, but her interest and willingness to ask question after question enabled her to make her mark beyond the original scope of her job.
Coffee shops are cool. Sometimes as cool as the coffee itself.
Roastar has a niche working with small business entrepreneurs that need or want smaller batches of packaging. They keep their minimum print runs low.
So many questions. What is the lifespan of a package? Who is responsible for the waste of a product put out into the world? Why in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is doing the right thing so challenging?
Three Pillars of Sustainability
1. Product development: Researching and developing the creation of sustainable packaging options.
2. Waste deferral: Preventing packaging from ending up in the landfill by reusing and/or preventing use in the first place.
3. Transparency and Education: An ongoing, company-wide effort that combines internal education (without greenwashing) and eco-friendly habits with community involvement.
R!WC INDUSTRY PARTNERS
See Hacea Coffee Source, Roastar, and Roast! West Coast at Coffee Fest Anaheim on Sunday and Monday, August 6-7th. Stop by and see what’s in everyone’s mug.
First Light Whiskey has a new Instagram page @drinkfirstlight. Follow asap. Oh, and they now have Adventure Packs. Yes, please.
Order on www.firstlightwhiskey.com. Coffee loving cyclists have until August 6th to order the first ever custom Coffee Cycle Roasting jerseys from The Heavy Pedal.
Order on The Heavy Pedal.
A huge, on-going thank you to this show’s industry partners. Click these links!
Roastar • Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters • Hacea Coffee Source • Crossings Coffee • Acento Coffee Roasters • Sivitz Roasting Machines
Coffee People: Dani Taube, Roastar