The Coffee Menu
Our signs in action
Interview with The Hive | London, UK Meet the owner of The Hive and learn why he displays the coffee menu
Instructions:
1) Print menu or even better, create a DIY menu and display in shop.
2) Read shop owner FAQs below and contact us if you have questions!
3) If you feel inclined, take a photo and share with us!
What is it? A menu! With carbon footprint data instead of price or calories. And why? Carbon footprint is a great way for people to understand the impact of their daily choices. There is no right or wrong or good or bad decision. We simply have an impact by being alive – it’s inevitable. Our goal is to help people understand their footprint so they can make informed decisions. And why coffee? Since everyone loves coffee, having the coffee menu at coffee shops is a great place to start and will help educate people about their carbon footprint and help carbon footprint data become mainstream. Hip and innovative brands like Oatly are already publishing their carbon footprint data directly on their packaging. Our goal is to encourage more brands to follow suit. Is the data on the coffee menu specific to my shop? Nope! This is generic data and is meant to get people more accustomed to seeing this information and perhaps asking other food establishments and manufacturers to also publish their data. Am I making any commitments by putting up the sign? None at all! You’re simply enriching the lives of your customers by helping them understand their impact and helping them on the path to making informed choices. I don’t know much about carbon footprint. What if someone asks me a question? Not to worry at all. The answer you can give is, “It’s complicated. Go to clever carbon’s website to learn more”. If you’re interested in learning more, see below!
The carbon footprint of a cup of coffee can depend on many factors:
Coffee Beans
- Methods that were used to grow and harvest
- Distance traveled to roaster/processor
- Energy consumed roasting and packaging
- Distance traveled to your city/shop
- Type of packaging used (recyclable or compostable? Plastic vs paper?)
Type of cup used
- Reusable vs disposable
Coffee shop footprint
- Renewable vs fossil fuel
- Efficiency of electrical equipment
Type of milk used (if any)
- Dairy or plant-based
- For beverages that use milk, the type of milk used is the single most significant portion of the carbon footprint of the beverage. A plain cup of coffee for example is on average 50g whereas a latte is 350g (dairy milk) or 140g (plant-based milk)
- More reading here: Which milk alternatives should we be drinking?
Carbon footprint is not the only factor to be considered. Land use, water use, and amount of waste generated are other factors among others. This applies to all aspects of daily consumption, not just coffee.
Have more questions? Contact us!
