Proposal To Export Coffee Beans Whole Raises Serious Sustainability Questions

A report of a suggestion by a former Starbucks engineer that billions of pounds of waste coffee pulp be processed from whole coffee cherries into flour in the U.S. has raised some serious eco-issues. Dan Beliveau had recommended that coffee cherries be exported whole, without initial processing on the farms. The waste pulp could then be turned into a gluten-free, fiber- and protein-rich flour. Environmental experts and coffee farmers at the source – one in El Salvador – noted in response to the report that almost none of the nitrogen-rich cherry pulp goes to waste. It is treated and hauled back to the coffee groves, then spread around the trees as fertilizer, furthering sustainability goals. “If well managed, there is no waste in the coffee fields,” said a representative of Cooperative Coffees.

"Coffee Flour: your questions on edible coffee answered", The Guardian (theguardian.com), July 31, 2014

New Dishwashing Liquid Helps Advance Henkel’s Sustainability Strategy

Henkel says that for the first time its researchers have combined surfactants and enzymes to create a liquid hand-dishwashing product (Pril against Grease and Crust) that can split starch molecules. The achievement, which reduces CO2 emissions as well as the amount of resources and raw materials used, also means that the starch remains of dried rice and noodles can be quickly removed. The company says the concept of “achieving more with less” is the basis of its sustainability strategy: creating value for itself, customers, and communities at a reduced environmental footprint.

"Enzymes for more sustainability", Henkel, July 16, 2014

Palm Oil Producers In Indonesia Guilty Of “Greenwashing” Their Deforestation Efforts

Greenpeace warns that an initiative by major palm oil producers ostensibly to stop deforestation in Indonesia will actually lead to further forest destruction to create more palm oil plantations. The Sustainable Palm Oil Manifesto (SPOM) sets tougher deforestation standards than those established by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), according to the producers. But Greenpeace says the initiative gives the producers time to determine which Indonesian forests to protect while actually allowing them to clear forests. “Allowing clearance in the name of 'sustainability' is nothing less than greenwashing,” a Greenpeace representative said.

"Greenwash alert as palm oil companies sign onto continued deforestation", News release, Greenpeace International, July 11, 2014

New Disposable Coffee Cup Should Improve Recycling Of Billions Of Containers

A British inventor has created a disposable coffee cup with a plastic liner that separates cleanly from the paper shell, making it much easier and affordable to recycle. Though current disposable coffee cups lined with plastic are recyclable, the process is difficult and expensive for recycling plants. That means many disposable cups that could be recycled never are. Starbucks, for example, recycles only about 39 percent of the four billion it uses each year. The new invention, dubbed “Green Your Cup”, can be pooled with all other paper products, including magazines and newspapers, at the recycling plant where the plastic liner is easily stripped from the paper.

"This Coffee Cup Really Will Get Recycled", Bloomberg Businessweek, July 08, 2014