We were delighted to be invited onto one of our favourite podcasts, 5thWave Podcast, to talk to Jeffery Young about our approach to sustainability.
5thWave Podcast is a must-listen for anyone in the coffee industry, with episodes covering everything related to the coffee business, from roasters like Dear Green to cafes, restaurants, and office coffee and industry trends throughout our supply chain. Even if you’re not in the coffee industry, the podcast has such interesting guests that it’s worth a listen!
You can hear the whole episode featuring Lisa Lawson at World Coffee Portal, or wherever you get your podcasts.
5thWave says, 'Lisa started in the coffee industry working alongside Toby Smith in the early days of creating Toby’s Estate in Sydney. She went on to launch Dear Green in Glasgow in 2011, with a mission to bring sustainably sourced coffees to her local community. Since then Dear Green has become a cornerstone of the Scottish specialty coffee scene - not only producing the Glasgow Coffee Festival, but also setting the benchmark for what a responsible coffee business should look like
In this inspiring conversation, Lisa shares her philosophy of embedding sustainability into every aspect of her business. She offers practical advice for greener operations - from measuring and reducing carbon emissions to investing in renewable energy and working towards zero-to-landfill waste goals.
We thought we’d share some of the key learnings from the episode below:
Dear Green sees B-Corp certification as a way of continually improving the business
If you’re considering B-Corp Certification - or if you want to learn more, Lisa goes into detail about what the process involved, and how being a B-Corp for over 6 years has changed the business. She discusses how being a Certified B-Corp isn't just a badge, but a framework for continuous improvement that forces businesses to balance profit with purpose.
B-Corp Certification is for businesses who want to formally show that their business considers the wider world and all stakeholders, not just shareholders. B Corps are committed to responsible business practices to benefit people and the planet.
“To me, I saw [B-Corp] as a manual for running a business well.”
Dear Green has re-certified and improved from a score of 84 to a score of 117. This is a HUGE jump in the world of B-Corp, showing Dear Green’s commitment to continual improvement. Dear Green hasn’t simply achieved certification and then rested on their laurels; the business has used the B-Corp framework to identify even more areas where they can improve practices. Sustainability isn’t a destination; it’s a journey.
Environmental Projects that Dear Green supports, like The Stumping Project
We wrote aboutThe Stumping Project back in 2022 and Lisa talked about the project in this episode. Dear Green is dedicated to supporting projects like this, which ensure the future of coffee is strong (pun intended!).
The Stumping Project financially supports coffee farms in Ethiopia to take a gap year to stump their aging coffee plants. While there will be a temporary gap in their harvest, in the following years, the plant will produce more - and higher quality - coffee cherries. Here are some stats:
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After one harvest without production, stumped trees will return to yields at 70% of pre-stumped levels in the second year.
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In the following year’s harvest, these trees will have the potential to produce between two and four times more cherries for the next six years
Cultivating a Responsible Coffee Community
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Glasgow Coffee Festival: As the organiser of the festival, Lisa shares how she scaled the event while maintaining strict environmental standards, famously banning single-use cups entirely to push consumers and vendors toward a reuse mindset.
Practical steps to 'Greener' Roastery Operations
Rather than focusing solely on high-level climate theory, Lisa offers practical advice for navigating eco-friendly practices:
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Carbon Auditing: She explains the importance of actually measuring emissions and having this audited. By voluntarily measuring Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, businesses can identify their real problem areas and where to focus their reduction strategy.
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Investing in Renewables: Transitioning roastery operations to renewable energy sources and utilising energy-efficient roasting technology to cut down gas and electricity usage.
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Zero-to-Landfill Goals:Strategies for minimising packaging waste, encouraging reusable container schemes for wholesale accounts, and finding circular solutions for all waste.
So when you’re buying coffee from Dear Green, you’re not just getting great beans. You’re supporting sustainability in action.
There is loads more in the podcast episode, including Lisa's business journey; we recommend you have a listen!
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