The two companies create a second life for coffee via an innovative programme based on circular economy that makes full use of all coffee residuals

Polygreen and Everest have joined forces with the launch of Just Go Zero Coffee, a pioneering programme based on circular economy around coffee, which involves the full recycling and utilisation of coffee residuals. This sustainable coffee consumption model guarantees that through a circular procedure, coffee residuals will be given a new life instead of ending up as waste in  landfills.

With Just Go Zero Coffee, coffee follows a totaly circular journey. The first step is that Polygreen collects coffee residualsfrom everest stores. Next, it transports them to its composting unit at Megara, Attica, where it is turned into fertiliser to be used by local producers. Meanwhile, a portion of the residuals are turned into raw material from which useful items for the Everest stores will be created by the company Phee.

The key objective of the programme is to eliminate coffee residuals via complete circular management, as well as to encourage more businesses in the sector to implement the same circular economy principles. It’s worth noting that thousands of tons of coffee waste are produced annually in Greece, each of which releases into the atmosphere 340 cubic meters of methane gas, one of the most important contributors to the phenomenon of climate change,.

This programme is part of ‘Just Go Zero’, the first ever circular economy ‘movement’ in Greece, recently set up by Polygreen, which designs and implements innovative recycling solutions, primarily for businesses and local communities, and sees as its mission circular management of waste as well as the formation of a new environmental culture, through targeted educational and awareness-raising actions. Talking about Just Go Zero, Athanasios Polychronopoulos, the Founder and CEO of Polygreen said: “Our collaboration with Everest is a key milestone in our path towards implementing circular waste management solutions, as it sets an example for other companies, firstly in the coffee and food & beverage sector and next in other fields too, for zero-waste operation. Our vision at Polygreen is that one day ‘waste’ will only be displayed in museums and, remaining loyal to our environmental pledge, we will continue to take steady steps towards realising that goal.”

Katerina Papageorgiou, CEO of the Vivartia Catering Group, said: “Creating a coffee waste collection network was an idea we had explored for everest before the pandemic struck. We managed to design it in collaboration with Polygreen and introduce it in our stores on a trial basis during the especially difficult lockdown conditions.From the beginning our plan was to make it easy for other food selling points to take part in this network, having Athens as our starting point and aspiring to expand it throughout all of Greece. It is our firm belief that we’re obligated to use our presence and know-how to contribute to the common good. We therefore invite all food professionals to learn about and join this endeavour. Our commitment is to continue our efforts to become better at protecting the environment, taking initiatives that will demonstrate our promise through our actions.”

See the Just Go Zero Coffee video here.

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