Carbon Reduction Efforts, 2009

The Buena Vista Roastery has in place its Carbon Reduction and Sequestration Initiatives for 2009. We have also started Coffees For A Cause which is a program that will allow our customers to purchase our Fair Trade Organic coffee and put 10% of their purchase toward one of several causes / non-profits. We are working on increasing the marketing of this program in 2009. The non-profits that we are wirking with include Holistic Management International, Slow Food USA, The Association of Family Farms, BALLE, Denver Street School, and Chaffee County Boys and Girls Club. We hope our efforts will raise the level of awareness of consumers that their purchases can and should have a greater impact.

The Buena Vista Roastery’s Carbon Reduction and Sequestration Initiatives, 2009:

• Continue Green Business Certification requisites and monitoring program modeled after Cuban sustainability program – in progress

• Carry out carbon footprint assessment on roasting, and conventional vs organic coffee production – in progress, 2009

• Reduction in wattage on all lights – in progress

• Alternative building and electricity investigation for café, roasting and storage facilities – planned for 2009

• Replacement of equipment with EnergyStar and other energy reduction equipment – in progress

• Regular maintenance on all equipment to ensure proper airflow and optimum efficiency – in progress

• Investigate electric/wind trading options with Sangre de Cristo Electric Coop – in progress

• Carry out waste generation assessment site-wide, initiate waste reduction practices accordingly – in progress

• Investigate secondary uses for burlap sacs and chaff by-products – in progress

• Involve Holistic Management International in marketing and sales efforts to incorporate terrestrial carbon sequestration options for coffee purchases – in progress

• Increase civic donations to agricultural related activities and other efforts focused on environmental stewardship, in addition to other charitable activities – in progress

• Expand our Coffees for a Cause program – in progress

Also, we are Organic and Fair Trade certified and strive to source beans from socially responsible farms when they can’t afford certification, we carry organic teas, we use only Simple Green as a cleaning product, we compost our coffee grounds and chaff, we encourage using mugs in the shop and are investigating compostable disposable cups, we use recycled paper in the printer, we recycle all plastics, cardboard, greyboard, etc, we don’t use packing peanuts and encourage our vendors to ship with alternative materials.