There have been a number of posts over the last year on the ‘cafespaces’ blog which have discussed topics related to sustainability and the coffee shop industry. I’m delighted to have received funding from Coventry University to be able to research this area in more depth in the form of a new project: From the Grounds Up: The Coffee Shop Industry and the Circular Economy.
The project aims to explore how businesses in the coffee shop industry, and consumers can engage in the circular economy, the facilitator and inhibitors for doing so, and the importance of these actions for sustainable economies and societies. The UK and Germany will be used as two case studies for exploring how and why the coffee shop industry takes part in the circular economy. The investigation is driven by the following research questions:
- To what extent is the circular economy evident in the coffee shop industry?
- In what ways do businesses and consumers in the coffee shop industry engage in the circular economy?
- What are the enablers and inhibitors for coffee shops and their consumers to adopt circular economy practices?
- What impacts can engagement with the circular economy have for coffee shops and its consumers?
There will be more updates on the blog as this project develops, but as background there are already a number of related blog posts:
- Coffee and the circular economy
- Beyond the Beans: Coffee shops and the circular economy
- The Square Mile Challenge and Sustainability at the London Coffee Festival
- Sustainable Coffee Cups: Huskee Cup
- Calling for coffee cups: coffee cup recycling activities
- Consumer’s, reusable cups and convenience
If you know of a coffee shop or coffee business that engages with the circular economy, in whatever capacity or scale (or country), from recycling to energy generation, I’d be really interested to hear about it.
cafespaces 
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