Smart solutions for sustainable office coffee: Reducing waste and carbon footprint

A strategically installed coffee machine is instrumental in creating a productive, thriving workplace. Not only does it give employees a caffeine kick, it gives them a place to unwind and take breaks, creating a welcoming environment where they can connect with colleagues and build relationships over a cup of coffee. Top-quality coffee has now become an expected perk and is consistently ranked as one of the most important aspects of the workplace, so when creating a space with your employees at the heart, it’s vital to ensure that the coffee offering meets their expectations.

But whilst sustainability has been at the top of the agenda for businesses and their architects in recent years, appliances like office coffee machines can sometimes be overlooked despite being an integral part of the workplace and contributing to an office’s carbon footprint. Having a sustainable office coffee machine is more than just a passing trend, it’s a responsible and conscious choice that shows your commitment to the environment, promotes a sustainable mindset for your team, and helps in creating a great workplace experience for your team. On top of this, poor CSR policies can have a significant impact on your organisation, with clients and potential employees increasingly seeking out businesses that place high priority on sustainability.

Modern consumerism often has us striving for the latest and greatest products, and means that manufacturers make the most of this by frequently releasing newer, shinier models. This cycle results in an enormous amount of unnecessary waste each year as businesses are forced to dispose of obsolete machines. If you are replacing your coffee machine yearly, or every other year, do you know where your old one goes? Often it is added to the 50 million tonnes of e-waste added to landfill each year. Not only is this disastrous for the environment, it has a huge impact on your wallet!

Put simply, the easy fix for this is to buy an office coffee machine that is durable and capable of growing with your business. Your coffee machine needs to be able to stand the test of time. It needs to be designed and built for longevity and able to cope with demand without an issue. An IoT enabled coffee machine allows you to keep up-to-date with technology and can grow with your business.

The design of the machine itself can contribute to your carbon footprint in ways you didn’t realise. What is your coffee machine made of? Consider opting for a machine made from recycled or recyclable materials, such as steel, as this means that once it reaches the end of its lifecycle you know the materials can be reused and not sent straight to landfill. It is also important to consider the ongoing maintenance of the machine. If an issue or fault does arise, can it be dealt with remotely to avoid the need for an engineer to drive to your office? 

It’s likely that your coffee machine will have peaks in usage throughout the day - the morning rush is likely to be much busier than 4pm - so consider a machine that can go into low-power mode when it is quiet to avoid unnecessary energy use. Does your coffee machine have an in-built water boiler? If so, not only will that impact water quality and taste, it will be constantly using electricity to heat the water, leading to higher energy usage and potentially unhappy employees. Flash-heated water is much better for the environment and produces a better tasting cup of coffee.

Globally, it is estimated that over 59 billion coffee capsules are produced every year, however the majority (95%) will end up in landfill, so to reduce waste you should choose a machine that uses fresh beans over capsules. But as we are drinking more coffee than ever before (daily coffee consumption in the UK has soared to 95 million cups) and our expectations from our cup of coffee are growing, so has the importance of choosing sustainably and ethically sourced beans.

By opting for sustainably-sourced coffee beans, you are supporting farmers and cooperatives that follow responsible farming practices that can help preserve the fragile ecosystems and protect biodiversity. It also leads to a better quality coffee cherry and ultimately a better tasting drink for the end consumer. What’s more, sustainably-grown coffee and sustainable farming often goes hand in hand with the promotion of fair wages, safe working conditions and a more inclusive and equitable coffee industry, so you can enjoy your morning flat white knowing that you are contributing to a more fair industry.

We designed TopBrewer to be the most sustainable coffee machine on the market. Its innovative, digitally-driven design allows for remote, over-the-air software and firmware updates that ensure that our customers can be guaranteed the same experience regardless of when their machine was installed, future-proofing your investment and avoiding the need to buy new equipment. This smart technology also enables remote monitoring and diagnostics, ensuring efficient maintenance and reducing unnecessary service visits.

TopBrewer is built with high-quality, and durable materials that are designed to last and that reduce the need for frequent replacements, and its design incorporates advanced energy-saving features, ensuring minimal power consumption and reducing the environmental impact. The app control allows the user to customise their coffee to meet their exact taste, and the professional quality brew unit minimises waste by dispensing the perfect amount of coffee every time.

When it comes to the coffee, that’s our passion. Our Impact Trade initiative takes direct trade to the next level. In addition to building relationships with coffee growers, we look to impact the community at the source and make a real difference to the community. The beans used in all of our Amokka® coffees are bought directly from our partners around the world, from Nicaragua to Nepal to Peru, and we strongly believe that building meaningful relationships with our partners is key to receiving the best quality product in the most sustainable and ethical way.