Sustainability

At No6 Coffee Co., sustainability is a guiding principle woven into every aspect of our business. From how we source our beans to the way we serve our coffee, we are committed to practices that respect the environment, support our communities, and inspire meaningful change.

Purpose

We prioritize direct trade, ensuring that our coffees are sourced through personal, longstanding relationships. Nearly all of our beans are purchased in partnership with Common Goal Coffee, whose owner, Billy, has spent decades cultivating close ties with producers. These relationships allow us to work with the same farms year after year, fostering trust and mutual investment.

Many of the farms we partner with are family-operated and prioritize eco-friendly practices. Their approaches often include natural, cost-effective methods for pest control and fertilization. These producers also collaborate with neighboring farms to meet volume demands, creating a network of sustainable and community-driven coffee production. By paying farmers based on quality, we help incentivize innovation, better yields, better coffee, and stronger communities.

Responsibility

We understand that every choice matters when it comes to reducing our environmental footprint. Here are some of the ways we’re working to minimize our impact:

• Energy Efficiency: Our Diedrich roaster is designed to be 50% more energy efficient than traditional roasters, reducing emissions and energy use.
• Lighting: Most of our facility has been converted to LED lighting, lowering our energy consumption further.
• Packaging: For retail customers, we use 100% recyclable packaging and offer a returnable glass jar program to reduce waste.
• Bulk Delivery: Local accounts receive their coffee in reusable plastic pails, eliminating the need for disposable bags.
• Single-Use Alternatives: We do not offer single-use cups, instead encouraging customers to bring their own reusable cups or purchase one of the many sustainable options we sell in-store.

Engagement

Sustainability extends beyond environmental practices—it’s about building meaningful connections and fostering change.

• Educating Customers: By not catering to a grab-and-go culture, we’ve created a low-volume tasting bar where we have the time and space to engage in deeper conversations. Whether it’s helping someone perfect their home brewing setup or discussing the broader impacts of the coffee industry, we aim to empower our customers to make informed choices.

• Encouraging Thoughtful Brewing: Brewing better coffee at home can reduce the need for frequent trips to coffee shops and minimize waste. We help customers focus on high-quality, durable brewing tools that suit their lifestyles, reducing the demand for unnecessary equipment.

• Championing Quality-Based Pay: We actively share information about how paying farmers for quality creates a cycle of improvement. This approach leads to more efficient farming, higher yields, and stronger communities in coffee-growing regions.

Usability

Sustainability extends to the digital space. Our website is designed with speed, simplicity, and usability in mind to ensure a seamless customer experience while reducing digital waste.

• Optimized Performance: Built on Shopify’s Dawn theme, our site prioritizes fast loading times and smooth navigation.
• Minimalist Design: We use a single font across all text for consistency and clarity, paired with lossless image compression to maintain visual quality without increasing data usage.
• Content That Matters: Every image and piece of text is intentional, relevant, and designed to serve a purpose. We avoid unnecessary distractions like sliders and focus on straightforward, useful content.
• Accessibility: Black text on a white background ensures maximum legibility for all users.
• Efficient Navigation: By continually optimizing the website, we aim to help our customers quickly find the coffees they need, minimizing time spent online and enhancing the overall experience.

Our approach to web design reflects our broader commitment to sustainability: thoughtful, efficient, and focused.

Forward

We’re always striving to do more. One of our key goals is to launch a returnable reusable cup program for all cafes that serve No6 Coffee. This program would allow customers to pay a deposit for a reusable cup, which they could return or exchange for a clean one at participating locations. This initiative aims to reduce single-use cup waste across the community while making sustainability convenient and accessible.

Commitment

Sustainability is a collective effort. Every choice we make—and every choice you make as a customer—helps create a more sustainable future for coffee. Whether it’s through bringing your own cup, learning about the coffee you drink, or simply enjoying a cup brewed with care, your actions make a difference.