(Originally Published March 12, 2018)
Looking for coffee recycling companies in your area? This article provides a listing of some of the top rated food waste recycling companies across Canada. We will also go over the importance of recycling and composting office items such as food waste to encourage everyone to work towards a cleaner and greener world. Click here to learn more about Kitchener Clean's Office Compost Program, or contact us today!
Coffee is the most common beverage aside from water consumed by adults. According to studies. 14 billion cups of coffee are consumed in Canada every year (source)!
Most of us who work in an office like to start our day with a nice and hot cup of coffee, whether we brew the coffee ourselves, or we use pre-packaged coffee pods or capsules from brands such as Keurig or Tassimo. Some of us even have our favourite coffee joint that we like to stop by on our way to work.
For a lot of us in Canada and around the world, coffee is an integral part of our day that boosts our energy, helps us focus, or is a simple pleasure we just cannot live without. However, We usually don't pay much thought to the amount of waste that is generated from the making and packaging of coffee products. We also don't usually pay attention to if this waste is being properly recycled or reused.
Did you know that there are many uses for coffee grounds? It can be used to fertilize your garden, used to absorb odour, exfoliate skin, or even make soap, just to name a few. If you don't plan to reuse coffee grounds for the above mentioned purposes, they should be going to the compost bin along with the rest of your food waste.
Most companies do not automatically have access to compost bins, unlike residential properties. Because of that, food waste gets mixed in with other garbage and ends up rotting inside plastic bags stuck in landfills.
Recyclenow.com states that food waste sent to a landfill does not "harmlessly break down," but instead it rots away and releases methane gas (a gas 25x more potent than carbon dioxide) into our atmosphere.
For coffee capsules, according to this article from the Atlantic A Brewing Problem, "In 2014, enough K[eurig]-Cups were sold that if placed end-to-end, they would circle the globe 10.5 times. Almost all of them ended up in landfills."
There is even a YouTube video entitled “Kill the K-Cup” whose main point is to demonstrate that K-Cups are quite literally destroying the environment. The good news is there are more and more specialized recycling and waste management companies that offer recycling programs for coffee capsules and pods, such as the Toronto-based goJava.
Because hundreds of thousands of people consume coffee in one form or another in their offices around the country, offices can produce an enormous amount of coffee waste. Here are the benefits of recycling coffee waste:
Sources - epa.gov and wastewiseproductsinc.com
Looking for commercial coffee waste and compost recycling companies? This listing provides top-rated commercial recycling companies organized by province.
Company: Harvest Power - Organic Waste Recycling
Average Rating: ★★★
Description: In 2010, energy and compost company Harvest Power launched a new food waste recycling initiative. Harvest Power announced they would use their facilities to run a food waste diversion and compost programs. Their organic waste collection program allows residents to drop off select food scraps, including coffee grounds, yard trimmings, certain fats, oil, and grease, and biosolids.
Source: Harvestpower.com
Company: BluPlanet Recycling - Organics Recycling
Average Rating: ★★★★★
Description: BluPlanet Recycling offers multiple recycling programs to both residential and commercial properties. Their organic waste program provides businesses with high-quality composting bins, compostable liners, ongoing education regarding recycling, and more.
Source: bprecycling.ca
Company: Penner Waste
Average Rating: ★★★★
Description: Penner Waste provides residents with many composting and waste management services including providing waste and recycling pins, drop-off programs such as waste drop-off, lawn/tree drop-off, shingle drop-off, and more. Penner Waste rents their recycling bins to everyone in the Manitoba area including residents and small to large businesses.
Source: Pennerwaste.com
Company Name: TerraCyle
Average Rating: ★★★★
Description: With branches in Ontario as well as in the US and Australia,TerraCycle is an innovative recycling company that has become a global leader in recycling hard-to-recycle materials. They offer a range of free programs, as well as recycling solutions available for purchase for almost every form of waste, including coffee bags, coffee capsules and any other kind of accessory or packaging associated with making or drinking coffee.
Source: terracycle.ca
Google Review Rating: ★★★★★ (4.9 Stars)
Description: Our Office Compost Program is offered to businesses of all sizes around the Waterloo area. As a member of this program, your company will receive an organic waste bin to collect all food scraps. Every week one of our Office Car Technicians will come and collect the waste and leave you with a clean, fresh bin!
Company Name: Compost Montréal
Average Rating: ★★★★★
Description: Compost Montréal is a composting service that collects compost on a weekly basis from both residential and commercial properties. They operate within a specific collection zone - however, if your company falls outside their collection zone, you may be added to a waiting list. They collect from both large companies and small.
Source: compostmontreal.com
Company Name: Envirem Organics
Average Rating: ★★★★
Description: Envirem Organics is an environmental company that specializes in industrial and organic waste management services. They offer a wide variety of services and manufacture, market, and export organic products such as compost and soils and mulches.
Source: Envirem.com
For more information visit Island Waste Management Corporation
For more information visit Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association
For more information visit Government of Nova Scotia
Selecting a commercial cleaning company that both cleans and takes care of your coffee and food waste can help you save time, energy, and ensure your office is cleaner than ever!
The best way to keep everyone in your office safe and healthy is by consistent cleaning. Hiring a cleaning service will help maintain kitchen appliances and help keep your kitchen and office clean with office compost services!
At Kitchener Clean, we care about your office, your staff, and the environment. That's why all of our cleaning products are non-toxic to ensure the safety of your staff.
Kitchener Clean always uses the highest quality EcoLogo or Green Seal certified products when possible in your office. EcoLogo is North America’s largest, most respected environmental standard and certification mark.
EcoLogo provides customers with the assurance that the products and services bearing the logo meet stringent standards of environmental leadership. Using green, non-toxic cleaning products means that everyone in your office can breathe easy without worrying about harsh chemicals or allergic sensitivities.
"Kitchener Clean stands apart from other cleaning companies because
of the full service they offer. Not only are they professional and friendly,
they are also incredibly thorough."
-- Anne Marie, a Kitchener Clean customer
