ENVIRONMENT

BUSINESS: 295 PRACTICES


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Initiative

"Just Go Zero Coffee" program in collaboration with Polygreen & Everest for the coffee circular management

"Just Go Zero Coffee" program in collaboration with Polygreen & Everest for the coffee circular management
SUBMITTED FROM:

POLYGREEN

Polygreen is a leading company in the circular economy sector worldwide. With an emphasis on careful design and innovation, as well as sophisticated laboratory analyses, Polygreen specializes in reliable and cost-effective waste management and marine pollution response services. With a presence in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Polygreen implements immediately and efficiently some of the most technically demanding environmental projects worldwide. At the same time, Polygreen provides integrated and innovative circular economy solutions that improve people's quality of life. Finally, through targeted training programs, as well as cultural actions, Polygreen aims to strengthen environmental awareness.



Objective Action

  • The main goal of the program is the zero waste of coffee through a fully circular management of its residues, but also the reduction of the environmental footprint caused by the consumption of the most widespread beverage worldwide.
  • Also, Just Go Zero Coffee aims to encourage businesses in the catering sector (HORECA) to more generally integrate the principles of the circular economy into their operations. Essentially, through the circular economy network created by Polygreen and Everest, small or large catering businesses are given the opportunity to learn about the benefits of utilizing coffee residues and gradually join it.
  • Finally, Just Go Zero Coffee aims to educate consumers and coffee lovers in circular economy practices and to cultivate a new culture in Greece, to address important environmental challenges of our time.
 

Target Audience

The main common objectives of this action are:

  • Professionals (owners and employees) of the catering industry
  • The general public and coffee consumers
 

Duration

The program started in October 2021 and its seamless implementation continues to this day. In fact, other businesses in the program, mainly from the catering sector (HORECA), are gradually joining it.


Description

Just Go Zero Coffee is an innovative circular coffee management program, which started with a strong collaboration between two pioneer companies in their field. Specifically, Polygreen, a company that operates internationally in the field of environmental services, offering integrated and innovative circular economy solutions, collaborates for the implementation of Just Go Zero Coffee with Everest, one of the largest and best-known restaurant chains in our country.

Regarding the footprint of coffee consumption in Greece: in total, more than 5 billion cups of coffee are consumed annually in Greece, resulting in tens of thousands of tons of coffee residues ending up in Sanitary Landfills. Each ton releases into the atmosphere 340 cubic meters of methane - CH4 - (Source: Cruz et al., 2012; Mussatto, Machado, et al., 2011; Ricardo, Pascoa, & Magalhaes, 2013) a gas that is the second largest factor in climate change, after carbon dioxide (CO2).

The solution provided by Just Go Zero Coffee: through the Program, all the coffee residues produced in Everest stores are brought back to life through a circular process that Polygreen undertakes to implement. Specifically, Polygreen collects the coffee grounds and then transports them to the organic waste treatment plant it has in Megara Attica, where they are composted and turned into a soil conditioner, which is offered to producers in the area. At the same time, a part of the quantity is converted into raw material from which useful items are produced which are returned to the everest stores.

This is an initiative that responds to modern environmental challenges, with the most basic being the reduction of coffee waste and therefore the reduction of the carbon footprint from the consumption of this particular beverage. At the same time, it mobilizes other businesses to adopt circular solutions in their waste management, since it creates an example initially in the coffee and catering sector, but in a second year in other categories, with the goal of zero waste.

In order for Just Go Zero Coffee to gain more recognition and to raise the awareness of as large a part of the public as possible to adopt the principles of the circular economy in their daily lives, an original video was created (see here). At the same time, a targeted communication plan was implemented, the results of which highlighted the public's strong interest in environmental issues.

It is worth noting that the specific Program is part of the general framework of the first circular economy "movement" in Greece "Just Go Zero", announced in 2021 by Polygreen, which designs and implements innovative recycling solutions, in the first phase with businesses and local communities, and its mission is the circular management of waste and the education and awareness of the public in matters of environmental protection.


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Impact on Society

Just Go Zero Coffee has recorded impressive results, which are expected to multiply in the near future due to upcoming partnerships. More specifically, from the start of the Program (October 2021) until 31/3/2022, Polygreen has collected 51,120 kilograms of coffee and prevented the emission of 17,381 cubic meters of methane into the atmosphere. At the same time, it gives a second life to an already utilized material and returns economic life in another form (soil improver – compost and useful items).

This is a matter that affects society to a great extent, as shown by the immediate interest of the public, especially during the first period of its implementation: the publications in the printed and electronic media for the start of the implementation of the Program exceeded 80 in the first month, more than 344,700 users saw the relevant video through digital channels, while the results from the analytics of the program's digital campaigns since its inception show more than 13 million views (impressions) in total and more than 60,000 interactions (clicks).



Initiative Location

In the first phase, the program is being implemented in Attica, while further geographic expansion is expected very soon through upcoming collaborations with small and large catering businesses in the Greek Region.


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Working with Organization

Polygreen collaborates in the first phase for the implementation of Just Go Zero Coffee with Everest, one of the largest and best-known catering chains in our country.


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Workers Participation

The employees of the everest stores participate in the implementation of the Program, who have been trained on how to collect the coffee grounds and deliver them to the Polygreen staff.


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Videos

Benefits for Οrganization

In a short period of time from the start of the implementation of the Program, additional catering chains mobilized and expressed interest in joining Just Go Zero Coffee. Many independent stores have followed suit, proving that this is an area for further growth.

Also, the program generated strong journalistic interest as a result of which it was presented in television news bulletins, informational & news broadcasts as well as in print and electronic media.

Finally, JGZ Coffee has been a driver of growth at B2B level for Polygreen, as an example of a green model that is expected to be extended to other sectors of the economy for the circular management of other organic or non-organic materials.




Connection with Global Goals






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