Sustainable Ideas...

Green Café Network founder Kirstin Henninger had a dream to start her own green café. Her zero-emissions, organic-only, independently-owned coffee shop would bring caffeinated creatives together to change the world: a little piece of left-bank Paris in 21st century San Francisco.

But the more she looked into it, the more she encountered lots of café owners who wanted to go green, but they just didn't have the time or resources to do it. So she decided to establish the Green Café Network instead, which now helps owners get the materials and certifications they need to be green businesses.

 
With the support of the Earth Island Institute, she’s linked up nearly a dozen San Francisco coffee shops including Ritual Roasters, Mission Pie and Velo Rouge Café. She helps them create connections to local food producers and provides direct coaching and workshops dealing with sustainability issues.

Every café’s baristas receive free training on composting, carbon emissions and water use. And to reduce the cost of eco-friendly supplies, member cafés team up to buy their low-impact, fair-trade supplies in bulk. Through this greening process, the Network aims to spread its green message to the millions of Americans who are connected through their neighborhood cafés.

“What makes this network different from other business associations is that we are dedicated to public education,” said Henninger. “We want people to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ about our critical need for a greener economy.”