Climate positive?
The word neutral in carbon neutral has always bothered us. Can we aspire to be more than neutral? Can we aspire to have a positive impact on the environment? — We think so, so we invented the word climate positive. It's easy to invent a word, but not so easy to apply impeccable rigor to live up to it. Here's how we do it:
At Binocle, we select small and medium-sized producers with sustainable practices such as hand-harvesting, the use of organic fertilizers, the avoidance of pesticides, and shade-grown crops. This eliminates many emissions from the source right from the start. For the remaining unavoidable emissions from cultivation, transportation, and storage, we employ the renowned engineering consulting firm LCL Environnement, which produces a comprehensive annual calculation of all these emissions, based on the origin and volume of our coffee purchases.
At Binocle, we select small and medium-sized producers with sustainable practices such as hand-harvesting, the use of organic fertilizers, the avoidance of pesticides, and shade-grown crops. This eliminates many emissions from the source right from the start. For the remaining unavoidable emissions from cultivation, transportation, and storage, we employ the renowned engineering consulting firm LCL Environnement, which produces a comprehensive annual calculation of all these emissions, based on the origin and volume of our coffee purchases.
These emissions are then reimbursed in duplicate to Carbone Boréal, a UQAC research center working on sustainable reforestation in northern Quebec. This double compensation gives us the coveted “Climate Preventer” status.
LCL Environment
Carbon Neutral Certifications
We hold two carbon-neutral certifications, which you'll find identified on all our bags. One covers our coffee, and the other covers our operations. This dual certification is our way of ensuring there are no blind spots in the actual calculation of our total carbon footprint.
Then there is the question of packaging.
There's a lot of uncertainty, confusion, and misinformation surrounding compostable containers. The issue is complex, and different municipalities have different requirements. Our bags are certified by TUV as home and industrial compostable. They're made from paper, rice paper, and corn-based bioplastic. While they're the most environmentally friendly option for coffee bags, some recycling centers may decide to reject them. Keep in mind that even if the bags end up in a landfill, they will degrade much faster than a regular coffee bag.
For our commercial orders, which generate almost 50% of our volume, we simply use reusable returnable containers!
Bellwether Roaster
Now, let's talk about avoidable emissions. More specifically, let's talk about a major taboo: roasting is highly polluting. Traditional roasters run on gas, and in the process of "cooking" the coffee, they also produce a good deal of smoke. So, we're talking about a dual source of emissions: gas and smoke.
At Binocle, we decided to invest in a revolutionary 100% electric roaster that emits no smoke. It sounds too good to be true, but this machine actually exists and is the result of more than 10 years of research and development in California by the Bellwether company. This roaster not only uses only renewable energy (our beautiful hydroelectricity), but also, thanks to a filtration and hot air recirculation system, emits no smoke. We are the only ones in Quebec to roast on this exceptional roaster, which in addition to being (almost) zero emissions, offers an unparalleled degree of control over coffee roasting curves.
And finally, delivery.
Delivery is also a source of emissions.
That's why we deliver exclusively in Quebec. Furthermore, 80% of our deliveries are made by bicycle or electric vehicle. For the 20% that we can't deliver this way, we calculate the distances traveled annually and offset them twice as part of our carbon-neutral certification. Our deliveries are therefore always carbon-neutral, and almost always zero-emission.
TRULY ETHICAL
Really?
Poverty among coffee farmers has been a persistent crisis for generations. Eighty percent of the world's coffee farmers live below the poverty line. The root cause of this critical issue is simple: the purchase price of green coffee, which is consistently too low to meet their subsistence needs. In addition to these low prices, farmers face other challenges such as market fluctuations, coffee rust, climate change, and a shortage of migrant workers. The price farmers receive for their coffee has not changed significantly in 40 years.
Is there a solution?
Ethical text
Fairtrade certification
Bellwether's mission is to increase fairness for farmers by paying prices that meet their livelihood needs and investing in the farming communities where we source our produce.
Fairtrade certification
Bellwether's mission is to increase fairness for farmers by paying prices that meet their livelihood needs and investing in the farming communities where we source our produce.
STAY SMALL
In a world where companies always want to get bigger and more efficient, we want the opposite: to stay small. Stay small to maintain our artisanal approach and meticulous care. Stay small so we know our customers by name. Stay small so we never dilute our values.
Being small means agreeing to produce less.
Our fantastic roasting equipment, the most environmentally friendly in the world, has a limited weekly production. This means limiting our service points, our online sales, and even the number of subscriptions. We therefore seek to connect with passionate customers, colleagues aligned with our values, and businesses that see the value in our approach.
Fundamentally, coffee is a product of sharing and comfort. Unfortunately, drinking specialty coffee, or even just drinking coffee, is a luxury for many people. It's hard to work in a roastery, to see our shelves filled with coffee day after day, and not think about these people, these organizations that simply can't afford it.
Each month, we donate coffee to an organization or foundation in need. Contact us if you'd like to consider supporting us, and follow us on social media to learn the stories behind each organization.
Collaboration with local artists.
Let's be honest: our goal is not to make a profit with our merch!
Above all, we want to have fun and offer small-run items, create with local artists, and manufacture in the most ethical and sustainable way possible. We think that these days, t-shirts made in China in sweatshops, timidly decorated with a company logo, no longer have a place. We approach each item as a creation and not as a commodity. Yes, sometimes there isn't even a logo!
ALLIES
ON OTHER ROASTERS
We strongly believe that a spirit of camaraderie and mutual respect is crucial in the roasting industry. Quebec is teeming with exceptional micro-roasters, just as passionate about their craft as we are. We believe there's a way to be both very proud of our work and also very proud of the work of others. So we've decided to leave a space in our showcase for other roasters, large and small. Follow our networks to stay informed about our current favorites!
Subscriptions
Our least expensive, most ecological, and above all, most practical solution.
No commitment, and total flexibility on delivery frequency.