TORONTO, Canada – Zavida Coffee Roasters, a leading Canadian coffee roaster based in Concord, Ontario, is launching an initiative to eliminate waste sent to landfills from their Toronto facility. Zavida has implemented a comprehensive strategy to repurpose, recycle, or convert all waste generated during coffee production and office operations; receiving a Zero Waste Facility designation from GTA-based waste removal company U-Pak Disposals.
“This new approach marks a significant step in our unwavering commitment to sustainability,” said Ross Tverdostup, Director of Operations at Zavida. “By diverting all our waste from landfills, we are not only reducing our carbon footprint by 312 tonnes annually, we’re also paving the way for a greener future.”
Zavida’s holistic approach involves various methods to handle different types of waste:
- Reuse: Barrels, sacks, and pallets will be cleaned and reused, repurposed for a new life.
- Recycle: Coffee chaff, an organic byproduct of the roasting process, is being recycled in two distinct ways. The majority is sent to a facility in Wallenstein, Ontario to be used as an ingredient in livestock feed; while the remainder enriches soil and mulch through Zavida’s partnership with the Toronto Botanical Garden.
- Renew: All the remaining waste, unable to be reused or recycled is converted into renewable energy and returned to nearby power grids. Annually, this initiative generates electricity equivalent to powering 8 Canadian households for a year, according to calculations from U-Pak Disposals.
Toronto-area residents may also benefit from Zavida’s sustainability efforts. At the Toronto Botanical Garden’s Spring Plant Sale May 11-12, patrons can obtain free coffee chaff for their gardens, accompanied by expert guidance on its optimal usage as a nitrogen-rich ingredient in fertilizer.
David Quick, President of Zavida Coffee Roasters, emphasized the broader significance of the initiative: “Reducing our carbon footprint is not only an environmental imperative, but also a testament to our commitment to the community we proudly serve.”
