At CleverCoffee, we have developed a structured approach to reducing CO2e emissions from coffee roasting. By investing in an energy-efficient Loring coffee roaster and optimizing our roasting processes, we have reduced CO2 emissions from roasting by 70.6% compared to the industry standard and 65.8% compared to our previous setup.

Our Environmental Management System (EMS) provides us with a framework to monitor and reduce resource consumption, including gas, electricity and water. As gas accounts for 91.88% of the CO2 emissions from roasting, we have focused on efficiency improvements that significantly reduce gas consumption. Through targeted reductions throughout the supply chain – from farm to packaging – we now offer coffee with an overall CO2e reduction of over 95%. The remaining 5% is compensated. Our methods and calculations are third-party verified by FORCE Technology.

With our current roasting equipment, emissions are limited to 151 grams of CO2 per kilo of roasted coffee. Previously, when we used a conventional drum roaster (Giesen W15A), the figure was 441 grams per kilo, which corresponds to a reduction of 65.8%. The industry average is 544 grams of CO2 per kilo, which means that our current approach reduces emissions by 70.6% compared to standard practice.

Comparisons with other roasters also show the effect of process optimization. For example, another Corp-certified roaster reports CO2 emissions of 366 grams per kilo of roasted coffee. We both use the energy-efficient Loring roaster, which shows that the difference in emissions is due to process optimization and not just equipment. The other roaster’s calculations are third-party verified by Nature Preserve, ensuring a valid comparison.

Copy our method

Our model is scalable and can be implemented by other companies. Transparency is a priority for us, and we openly share our methods so that others can implement similar improvements. Some of the key improvements we have made to our roasting process that can also be used by other companies are:

• When the toaster is turned on, it constantly toasts the next batch.
• We have developed specialized roast profiles for each of our coffees with relatively short durations. An added bonus is that if you have quality beans, this “burst” method brings out the complexity of the flavor.
• We push the limits of how much coffee we can roast per batch.
• We never roast for half a day – only full days. It takes a lot of resources to start roasting – so it must be fully utilized.
  

There are many other small adjustments and optimizations to our approach, but these are a good place to start. Some adjustments will be relevant to other companies, while others are unique to our product. For example, a company that only makes dark roasted coffee will naturally use more energy in roasting.

Results

The transition to this approach required significant adjustments to our production setup and took several years to develop and refine. The implementation of new grating technology entailed a learning curve that required ongoing training and process optimization. Ensuring third-party verification and thorough documentation has been resource-intensive, but the collaboration with organizations like FORCE Technology has strengthened our credibility.

By continuously refining our approach, we aim to further minimize our environmental impact while making verified, data-driven improvements available to the rest of the industry.

Our coffee is already used by a number of Danish companies that want to reduce their carbon footprint. For example, one of our customers – a major financial institution – has reduced their CO2e emissions by approximately 200 tons annually by switching to our coffee.