Bootlegger Coffee co-founder and director Pieter Bloem with Ywaste owner Emile Fourie
South African coffeehouse Bootlegger Coffee has partnered with food waste management specialist company Ywaste to turn its waste into compost, using an eco-friendly method for the management of food waste through off-site composting.
“Now our customers can up their eco-friendly street credibility by buying bags of Bootlegger top soil, potting soil and compost made with their used coffee grounds and organic food waste for just R40 for a bag,” says Bootlegger Coffee Company co-founder and director Pieter Bloem.
“Bootlegger Coffee Company customers can now buy gardening essentials along with their cappuccino,” he added.
Healthy soils are fundamental to survival, as they are essential for healthy plant growth, nutrition and water filtration, and also help to regulate the climate and store carbon. Further, for every ten bags of compost bought, Bootlegger will donate one bag of compost to a community food garden.
“At the same time that we are focused on improving soil quality, we are helping government with its zero waste to landfill goals,” Bloem says.
“The benefit of using coffee grounds as a fertiliser is that it adds organic material to the soil, which improves drainage, water retention and aeration in the soil,” adds Ywaste owner Emile Fourie.
Bootlegger uses beans that are 100% sustainably sourced and roasted at its micro-roastery in Woodstock, in Cape Town, and the company is proudly 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified, meaning all products and ingredients have been produced using methods that support the three pillars of sustainability, namely social, economic and environmental.
“We would like to encourage other restaurants to avoid landfill, make the switch and make a difference in their communities with similar sustainable and eco-friendly approaches,” Bloem says.