Climate Change

How United Baristas is working to reduce coffee’s carbon footprint


Exploring

United Baristas is exploring coffee’s carbon footprint from crop to cup to understand how the coffee community can take meaningful action to reduce our carbon footprint.

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Sharing & educating

United Baristas communicates actionable information to coffee people at events, in interviews and through our Insights newsletter.

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Equipping the industry

United Baristas uses scientific research and industry insights to identify viable solutions for coffee businesses wanting to reduce their carbon footprints.

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Resources

United Baristas Market gets valuable things (such as shops, equipment and parts) to coffee people who’ll get better use from them. And United Baristas helps business maximise the working-life of their coffee equipment. As well as supporting business, this reduces the industry’s carbon footprint.

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Coffee Equipment for Sale on United Baristas Market


Four significant things
we can do right now

Choose oat milk
(or at least low-methane milk)

Reduce your flat white’s carbon footprint from 250 grams of CO₂e
– to as little as 50 grams.

Learn more why your milk selection makes such a massive difference.

Pay farmers more

Petrochemical fertilisers increase coffee growers’ yields, but are the single greatest cause of coffee’s carbon footprint at origin.

It’s possible to pay farmers more for reducing petrochemical fertiliser use. A higher price offsets lost income, plus it’s better for the land and lowers carbon emissions.

Find your local coffee roasters

The emissions from shipping coffee from the roaster to a shop (or your home) are typically greater than the emissions from roasting!

There are now hundreds of great roasters spread across the country. Buy coffee from one near you.

Use as little hot water as possible

Boiling your kettle is responsible for the majority of a brew’s carbon footprint, while a typical espresso machine uses 4x the average UK home’s electricity – does anyone else think that’s crazy!?

Heat as little hot water as necessary in your kettle, plus here’s some ideas for baristas to reduce the electricity used by their espresso machine.


Our footprint

United Baristas has reduced the carbon footprint of our services by over three-quarters per user since 2018.


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Find out how United Baristas helps coffee people and businesses do amazing things ☕️⚡️