Co-generation plant at Mainz coffee factory, Germany, where spent coffee grounds are used as fuel. Watch the film in our CSV In Action section.
Coffee and its environmental footprint - Farm to cup
As part of our programme of continuous improvement, we regularly measure and evaluate our environmental footprint. Our recent study on coffee examined energy use, water use and greenhouse gas emissions through the life cycle, ‘from farm to cup’. The results show that when compared to the total environmental footprint from farm to cup, the manufacture of soluble coffee (and also roast and ground coffee), accounts for a relatively small percentage of energy and water used, and of greenhouse gases emitted.
The study, which required intensive data gathering and analysis, has helped Nestlé to quantify precisely the level of impacts generated throughout the entire coffee life cycle. This not only shows us where we can improve environmental performance in our own direct operations, but also where we might be able to act externally as a potential catalyst to reduce the overall footprint arising from all key activities – including growing and treating the coffee beans, transporting green beans to our factories, transforming them into soluble coffee, and distributing the final product to retailers before final preparation by the consumer.