Caught Between Coffee, Saving Our Planet and COVID-19
Staying green should be a priority, especially with how our world is right now. As a coffee consumer and a person who deeply cares about our environment, I found this topic close to my heart. As a person who is both an environmentalist and coffee enthusiast, I have found myself feeling guilty and struggling when trying to order a drink that comes in a plastic cup. So, I decided to head into some of Reno’s most beloved coffee shops around the city to see how my local community was staying green. From not using plastic to composting, JoStella Coffee Company, Coffeebar Reno and Reno Coffee Company did not disappoint.
During COVID, a lot has changed. One of those things being coffee shops. The American culture that we have created of doing homework, work or hosting a meeting in a coffee shop has come to a halt. Coffee shops have taken precautions to reduce the spread of the virus in an abundance of different ways, while also keeping in mind the environment. One coffee shop may eliminate the use of reusable cups for the time being while another may only provide a to-go option.
So, how do some of our favorite Reno coffee shops stay green? And how have they stayed green during the pandemic?
JoStella Coffee Company’s logo on their wall in their Midtown shop.
From Pasta Stirs to Recycling at JoStella Coffee Company
Located in the heart of Midtown, JoStella Coffee Company is a favorite in the city. They try their best to stay green in every way that they can.
Owner Kayla Sisson, explained to me how staying green isn’t always easy, though. “Staying green is hard because it is so expensive, which I wish it wasn’t,” she saod. “A lot of the already recycled cups are super expensive which I feel like they shouldn’t be.”
However, that hasn’t stopped JoStella from trying their absolute best to help out the planet. They stay green in a couple of different ways. For starters, JoStella tries its best to use minimal plastic. Since a lot of customers don’t want or need a straw, they ask if someone needs a straw before handing them their drink. Another cool thing JoStella does, in order to reduce plastic use, is they use pasta stirs. They even recycle any milk cartons or boxes they get.
Sisson explains how she’s trying to even further the company’s help of staying green by coming up with more ideas to help out the planet. One idea she has thought of implementing is lids with no straws.
“To me, it’s important because I want my kids and generations after us to have a planet. A healthy planet,” Sisson said.
When it comes to COVID, Sisson has found a way to reduce the spread of the virus while also reducing the use of our “throw-away” culture.
At JoStella, they are still using for here mugs, which is when you can go into the shop and ask to drink your beverage there. JoStella uses a sanitizer to soak each mug and properly clean the mugs after an individual has used one. This way they can kill all of the germs and keep the planet healthy. “To give back to the planet so the planet lives on forever. We just do the best that we can,” Sisson said.
Coffeebar Reno’s recyclable cup from reCUP.
From Recyclable Cups to Avoiding Plastic
Coffeebar Reno was next on the stop of coffee shops around town. The Italian style coffee shop has done a lot to make sure they can stay green as well. Coffeebar Reno uses paper cups, paper straws and they compost.
“With the awareness of the daily footprint coffee shops leave behind, we do our best to minimize that through sustainable business practices including responsibly sourcing our coffee, partnering with local farms and businesses, and giving back our coffee grounds and food waste to the farms to feed the soil,” the Coffeebar website reads.
The Coffeebar’s recyclable cups are very earth friendly. They use a brand called reCUP that is made with EarthCoating®. The cup is designed to be recyclable and it uses 40% less plastic than conventional poly-coated cups.
“It’s sad watching the world wither away, and if there’s something anyone could do, he tries to,” Barista Mickayla said talking about her boss, the Coffeebar’s founder and CEO, Greg Buchheister.
When it comes to COVID, they unfortunately have stopped using their glass cups when customers come in and enjoy a drink in the shop. However, with their recyclable cups they are still doing their absolute best to make this world a better place. “It takes just little things to make a big difference,” Mickayla said.
Over on Wells Ave., the Reno Coffee Company is right there with the rest of the world while trying to make a difference.
“We don’t use plastic cups for iced coffees,” said the manager Melissa Jennings. “We don’t use plastic stoppers for the cups, and we also don’t use sleeves. Those are all pretty crazy for coffee houses, but we just find that they aren’t necessary and just end up right in the ocean or they’re just not recyclable. The biodegradable cups don’t really degrade so we just stay away from it. So, all of our cups are paper.”
A huge bonus with Reno Coffee Company is that through COVID it has been one of the rare coffee places to figure out how to keep using reusable cups.
“If you want to use a reusable, we still use it,” Jennings said. “We just don’t let customers give us the lids. They have to take off the lid themself. Usually, the people who do use reusable cups, sanitize them down before they give it to us.”
This has been a customer relief. Customers can officially go get their favorite cup of coffee while still knowing they are doing their best to keep the planet green.
“A lot of the time it is more cost effective,” Jennings said of being planet conscious. “ It is just a small step to do it, for the planet. Poor thing is dying, and we are trying to do the littlest things we can.”
As a customer and consumer, I have had to try my best to stay green when it comes to coffee shops. I have felt guilty when grabbing a to-go coffee. Knowing my local coffee shops are helping in any way, shape or form that they can is very relieving and great to know.