Insomnia Coffee Mission Compostable 2020
Published date: 13/03/2019 21:34
Insomnia Coffee Company is Ireland’s leading independent premium coffee chain.
In 1997, Insomnia started out with a sole location in a Galway bookstore. The chain has grown significantly in the past twenty years. Through partnerships with Irish retailers including SPAR, Eurospar, Eason, Medadows & Byrne, and Heatons, Insomnia now has an estate of over 150 coffee shops in Ireland and the UK. This is not even including the 400+ self service units in operation across Ireland. Further partnerships with leading international retailer, Debenhams, and leading Irish-based retail business, Primark, has set up an exciting future for the coffee chain.
As well as its immense success to date, Insomnia Coffee has been exemplary in how it conducts business. As a company, Insomnia Coffee is very aware of its social and environmental impact on the world.
"Insomnia Coffee Company believe businesses can, and should, have a positive impact on the communities they serve. We’ve been committed to being responsible and doing things which are good for the planet and each other ever since we opened our first store in 1997."
Insomnia Coffee Fair Trade Projects
Insomnia Coffee are conscious that the social and ecological impacts of their daily business can be extensive. This awareness has encouraged them to act sustainably and is the reason behind a number of their positive impact initiatives.
Since 2006, Insomnia Coffee Company has been Fairtrade certified. Fairtrade is a global movement that seeks to make trade fairer through connecting small farmers and consumers. When companies sell on Fairtrade terms, they act as a link between two ends of the value chain. 2018 will be Insomnia's 12th straight year of only serving 100% fairtrade coffee beans.
As well as their dedication to serving only 100% Fairtrade coffee beans, every year during 'Fairtrade Fortnight', Insomnia Coffee help to raise funds which go directly to nominated Insomnia Fairtrade projects. Insomnia have been a part of several wonderful Fairtrade projects: the Library Support and Girl’s Empowerment in Schools Project; the Infirmary & Dispensary at the Hekima Girls School, Bukoba in Tanzania and the construction of a Youth Centre for young members and children of the ACPC Pichamaki: a coffee cooperative in Peru.
Added to being a socially conscious company, Insomnia Coffee Company is dedicated to improving environmental sustainability. Insomnia is formally doing this through an initiative launched in June 2018 named "Mission Compostable 2020. This is an initiative that Zeus are proud to be a part of.
"Insomnia has always been a company that is connected and aware of its surrounds. We have been planning our Mission Compostable programme for over a year and made a significant investment in its rollout. We work with fantastic suppliers Zeus Packaging and Keywaste to make this possible. We have been Fairtrade Certified since 2006 serving 100% Fairtrade Coffee and supporting Fairtrade Community Projects since that year,” said Harry O'Kelly, CEO, Insomnia.
Zeus, Insomnia and Mission Compostable 2020
Mission Compostable 2020 is an integrated instore sustainability programme which, by 2020, will see 15 million takeaway single use coffee cups and 20 million single-use items such as plastic straws, plastic cups and plastic cutlery diverted from landfill. Zeus is delighted to be playing a key role in this campaign. As part of the initiative, Zeus are supplying all of the compostable cups, paper straws and segregated compostable bins to Insomnia Coffee Company.
A vital part of the Mission Compostable 2020 campaign is Insomnia's integration of segregated compostable bins. Using compostable packaging and compostable coffee cups is a vital step towards improved environmental sustainability. Compostable eco coffee cups are cups that can be composted completely in a specific period of time and then used in the production of other sustainable items. However, deciding to use compostable packaging is only half the story. The other half is ensuring that the compostable products are collected and disposed of in Ireland correctly. This is why the inclusion of segregated compostable bins cannot be overstated in its importance.
Praise for Mission Compostable 2020
Upon announcing the launch of Mission Compostable 2020, Irish environmentalist and media personality, Duncan Stewart pointed out the power of such initiatives.
"Despite the perception that many companies are driving green programmes the reality is it takes brands like Insomnia to lead the way. Not launching something that is going to happen but something that is happening. Mission Compostable will have a direct and positive impact on the environment from the get go while the 2020 targets are impressive, and a massive step forward towards a cleaner environment".
Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, also welcomed the move, declaring that the programme “fits perfectly with our Protection of the Natural Environment mandate. We want to see Ireland blossom with healthy soils, water and air and it is only with significant and tangible campaigns like Mission Compostable from Insomnia will we move towards achieving those goals for the benefit of all."
The Mission Compostable 2020 campaign is an initiative that Zeus are delighted to play a part in. Using compostable packaging especially with regard to disposable cups, and disposing of it correctly, has a hugely positive impact on the environment removing single use cups from heading to landfill. 22,000 coffee cups are disposed of in Ireland every hour and every coffee shop, café or business can play a role in a more sustainable future by seeking alternatives for these disposable coffee cups. Insomnia Coffee Company has become a leading organisation in Ireland and the UK. However, every business, no matter what size, has an important role to play.
Learn more about our compostable packaging range by visiting our website and checking out our eco friendly options.
Learn more about Insomnia's sustainability program here: https://www.insomnia.ie/who-we-are/sustainability