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Black Crow Coffee Co. is Zero Waste Certified

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Black Crow Coffee has become the first zero waste certified coffee shop in Florida, and the first zero waste certified business in the city of St. Petersburg. In order to be considered zero waste, an organization must keep 90% or more of its potential waste out of the landfill.

Beginning in April of 2018, Black Crow Coffee partnered with Shift Co., a local sustainability consulting group, to make the shift to zero waste. It took 6 months of analyses, training, and redesign, to reach this goal. Black Crow Coffee owner, Deana Hawk, was an early adopter of the straw ban and composting, but this new zero waste designation is one she is uniquely proud of. “I have a responsibility and commitment to serve my community and mother earth inside and outside of Black Crow Coffee Co.”

Black Crow Coffee will compost more than 15,000 lbs of organic waste this year, and recycle about 1,820 lbs. The environmental savings is equivalent to powering a home for 2 years, or keeping a car off the road for 16,606 miles.

But zero waste is about more than just composting and recycling, it’s also about finding opportunities for not creating waste in the first place. For example, Hawk was surprised to learn through the Shift Co. waste audit that Black Crow was throwing away nine rags each day. Over a year, that amounted to approximately 3,285 rags. By opting to wash and reuse their rags instead, Black Crow is not only reducing their impact on the environment, but saving money- nearly $1,500/year. Hawk was able to take those savings, and put it towards recycling and composting services. Shift Co. sustainability coach, Kali Rabaut says, “All of these small actions add up to big changes.”

Given that the Pinellas County landfill will run out of room in 81 years at our current rate, and the urgent UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, we need more businesses like Black Crow Coffee to be the change. It seems the community agrees. The Old Northeast location is always busy, and they are opening a new location on 1st Ave S. and 22nd St. in February.

In 2019, Black Crow Coffee and Shift Co. will continue to look at ways to reduce their impact on the environment. Next up, tackling single use plastic cleaning products. The zero waste journey is never over.

Find more information go to shiftco.us or get in touch at hello@shiftco.us

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