At Coffee Wagera, we do our best to reduce waste and be as environmentally friendly as possible, through some simple, zero-cost efforts…
- We discourage takeaway beverages by saying ‘coffee tastes better when fresh; have it here’ or ‘you’ll have to throw away the paper cup and add to Karachi’s garbage’. Half the customers change their mind and dine-in instead. We also charge an extra Rs.10 for takeaway cups.
- When customers take away coffee, we ask them how much sugar they like, and mix it while making coffee. So we don’t have to give sugar packs or stirrer. We only add napkins if asked.
- We don’t sell water, thus eliminating waste from empty plastic bottles. Our water dispenser has proper glasses that are washed regularly.
- We make and keep liquid sugar for dine-in customers too, to avoid throwing away empty sugar sashes.
- In our bathroom, toilet paper is kept on the ledge, which limits the waste compared to pulling toilet paper from a roll.
- We suggest customers to try their cold beverages without the straw.
- We use minimum amount of cutlery while serving, to reduce the amount of water for washing.
- Water wastage from coffee machine is used for our plants.
- Used coffee ground is collected and sold for the purpose of skin exfoliation and soil fertiliser.
- Credit card receipts are only printed for customers when they ask.
We hope this inspires some other cafes and restaurants too.
Mush is the Founder of Coffee Wagara. He has been a sales, marketing, and training expert for over 35 years; he has worked with corporates, leaders, and entrepreneurs in 20 countries. Mush is also the author of Dhinchak Life, a book about living a fantastic life!
