Coffee Conscience Hot Beverages As part of its continuing food sustainability programme the University of Edinburgh were the first higher educational institute to provide Coffee Conscience as a supplier for their hot beverage menu. With Year on Year growth of Fairtrade hot beverages ingredients served throughout the university estate, this benefit would offer additional support for carbon offset programmes within local third sector groups. Throughout 2012, activities to highlight carbon reduction raised the awareness levels and supported behavioural change of the consumers demonstrating greater social, environmental, and community responsibility. The university was responsible for contributing upwards of 80 fruit trees (equivalent to 4 orchards) planted at various community projects in Midlothian and the east coast. This latter activity was one of a number which also included local produce initiatives, carbon reduction transport for students, and social awareness of donating loyalty cards where the reward was entirely for community benefit. The initial development plan was to deliver full eco-cycle solutions to address the carbon offset of shipping coffee from developing countries, promoting Fairtrade to a wider audience, and the correct food waste channel disposal of coffee grout/tea waste. Discussions with Zero Waste Scotland in 2011/12 highlighted that the University had at least 3 tons of coffee grout Page 1 Coffee Conscience waste to dispose of each year with further growth to 4 tons forecast. These levels within Zero Waste Scotland`s targets may appear to be small but also extremely relevant to support the change in legislation which will make food waste into land fill by local authorities an illegal practice with hefty fines for breaches. Recognising this would have a cascading impact on the food supply chain. The introduction of the BioBag within the case of beans has witnessed the behavioural change of catering staff to begin the process of ensuring the grout waste is disposed of in the correct food waste channel and to discourage general waste disposal wherever possible. If this partnership with the University of Edinburgh and Coffee Conscience can reduce current levels by a further 25% of grout waste that would otherwise end in landfill, this can only be hailed as a success in the food supply chain. However, we aim to ensure 100% diversion of the grout and tea waste and we should value our natural resources and preserve their full life and eco cycle for a better environmental future. It wasn`t too long ago that used vegetable oil would be poured into general waste or disposed of down sinks and the creation of Bio-Fuel industry and the income generation has practically seen an incredible shift in disposal behaviour. Coffee and tea grout as compost, sustainable compost solutions, and potential fuel pellets is at the same place used vegetable oil was a few decades ago. We need to seek and encourage ways to transform this valuable resource which will benefit others and our future generations. Ian MacAulay (Assistant Director of Catering at The University of Edinburgh), Billy Miller (Managing Director of Coffee Conscience), and Ian Goodbrand (Upward Mobility – Community Gardens) are all behind this proactive initiative which will transform the food industry and create environmental benefits, educational support, social benefits, employment opportunities, and most importantly the preservation of our natural resources for full eco-cycle and sustainable solutions. Coffee grounds – Coffee Conscience in early 2012 were the first national coffee company to supply BioBags within every case of its own label coffee ingredients, and also actively seek to find a logistic solution to remove the grout waste for use within community gardens. A local charity near to the university, Upward Mobility, has projects throughout Midlothian and were keen to collect the waste for use as compost or sustainable income solutions, such as mushroom planters. The stumbling block was the logistical challenge and funding necessary to remove the grout waste from site to one or a multiple projects. This latter point is an on-going discussion to find a solution but if an estimate was provided for the total amount of coffee/tea grout waste produced in Edinburgh, there would be several hundred tons per annum available community group benefit, their sustainability, and to offer a natural resource to preserve our environment. Page 2