“Crema Joe was conceived out of a genuine desire to reduce single-use coffee pod consumption and the need to educate others about ‘reusing over recycling’, says Crema Joe cofounder Kayla Mossuto.
Like many savvy Aussies, coffee-loving Kayla and her husband Piers had turned to home capsule machines to save money and cut back on waste from takeaway cups. Imagine the couple’s alarm when they discovered Australians dispose of around six million single use capsules a day. It was a statistic that could not be ignored.
“My husband and I were originally confronted with our own capsule machine waste,” Kayla explains. “Then we began to look into the potential impact of the coffee pods we were consuming. Where would they end up? And would they actually be recycled?”
The duo recognised there was a lack of good sustainable alternatives for coffee pod machine owners,
“We were determined to find a guilt-free alternative and drive behavioural change.”
That determination has turned into a successful and ethical business that marries their passion for coffee with a cause they believe in.
In 2014 the couple kickstarted their business with a crowdfunding campaign on ING Dreamstarter. The brands reduce reuse recycle mantra soon garnered attention, allowing the Crema Joe to go into business.
“Today Crema Joe helps consumers to reduce their coffee waste with our reusable coffee pods. Our business began as a passion project in 2014, and now provides eco-conscious capsule users with an array of environmentally-friendly reusable capsules, which come in designs compatible with Nespresso, Dolce Gusto, Caffitaly and Aldi coffee machines.
“Crema Joe has become the go-to for thousands of eco-conscious Australians who are looking to satisfy their caffeine habit, without the guilt.”
This year the couple expanded their offering to include a coffee pod refill and exchange service for Melbourne based offices. The used pods are picked up and replaced with a new batch of pre-packed coffee pods to enjoy. It’s a beautifully simple cycle of planet-friendly coffee goodness. The spent coffee grounds are not forgotten either and find another life as garden fertiliser or even in beauty products. It’s yet another way the entrepreneurial team behind Crema Joe is promoting a circular economy, whereby product re-use is encouraged in every way.
“We see it as our responsibility to leave the planet in better shape for future generations, and educating our community about the importance of reducing consumption is key. Not only is recycling an energy-intensive exercise, due to the recycling crisis, sadly many materials aren’t being recycled at all and are, instead, being diverted to landfill. The situation is alarming, and we need to look at making changes to our habits if we want to make a positive impact.”
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