A Coffee Lover’s Guide to Saving Water

Blue Crane Coffee Company’s best tips to staying water and eco-conscious this season

It’s no secret that the Western Cape will continue its water shortage with little rain predicted until March 2018. Considering the Cape’s daily water-usage allowance of 87 litres per person, it’s important for consumers and businesses alike to actively trial innovative ways to save water.

Recognised by locals as Stellenbosch’s ‘newest bird in town’, Blue Crane Coffee Company (BCCC), isn’t only taking the necessary precautions to avoid water wastage. The coffee roastery and experimental laboratory is also showing coffee lovers how easy it can be to make every drop count.

Since BCCCs launch in 2016, its team of passionate entrepreneurs kicked off their new business venture with smart water-saving principles already in place. They have also embeded eco-nurturing principles in the outlet’s day-to-day running to help sustain the environment and support the community. For one, the team collects used coffee water and transports it weekly to a local Jonkershoek flower farm which harvests hydrangeas, flowers that thrive on low PH (coffee) water.

Although BCCC is conveniently located on one of the Winelands’ largest underground water pumps, and surrounded by the town’s historic canals, the team ensures they don't misuse water and continues to consider the daily challenges those without water face. BCCC is committed to a no-drainage system to manually collect water. This enables them to repurpose the water, much like a grey water system, and replenish the surrounding greenery.

Michael Jones, founder and co-owner of BCCC

“As a single coffee outlet, we won’t necessarily have a massive impact, but we are willing to take ownership of our water saving efforts. We truly believe every drop counts,” says Michael Jones, BCCC founder and co-owner. “But more than that, we believe each person who walks through our doors could potentially be encouraged to be more mindful of their water consumption, and in that way we believe our small contribution could have a far larger impact. Conserving water is easier than most people think, and there are so many ways to repurpose it.”

If you’re an avid coffee drinker, make every sip count with Michael’s easy-to-follow, practical conservation tips:

Don’t Have a Grey Water System? It may be time-consuming, but certainly worth your while to ‘bucket’ as much water as you can and use it to water your garden. “Opt for plants that prefer acidic nutrition such as the hydrangea wildflower family”, says Michael. “This is best for repurposing coffee water. So, the more coffee you drink, the more colour you could add to your garden!”

Coffee Bean Recycling 101: When it’s not about water, move to dry ingredients, AKA ground coffee or beans, to replenish soil and add to compost. Although it can be a good idea to remain aware of the types of soil that prefer more acidic additions, used coffee beans may neutralise after being drained, so this again cancells out the low PH level precautions. When adding ground coffee to compost, be sure to not add more than a quarter more than the entire compost batch. Coffee adds nutritional ground chemicals to aid plant growth.

A Few more Things You Might Not Know About Coffee Re-use:

Guard your garden: General garden pests are not fond of coffee’s texture. Build small wall ‘barriers’ using used ground coffee around your favourite plants to ward off snails and insects.

It’s a natural odour neutraliser: add a good portion of coffee grounds in a bowl on a fridge rack to neutralise off putting smells. Replace a few times a month.

It’s good for hair: coffee is a great hair exfoliant when applied in a cup portion or so to your scalp and thoroughly lathered with shampoo during a quick, power shower.

About Blue Crane Coffee Company: Blue Crane Coffee Company (BCCC), known to locals today as Stellenbosch’s (Western Cape) ‘new bird in town’, proudly roasts its versatile, 'genuine’ coffee blends at its Dorp Street headquarters. With its Stellenbosch address, a historic Cape Dutch building, being the only BCCC roastery / experimental coffee laboratory, the supplier offers customers, visitors and online buyers an authentic coffee experience without compromising on value. Additional offerings include custom-made ceramic crockery featuring a hand-drawn blue crane, BCCCs signature mark. The BCCC team includes founder and owner, Michael Jones, co-owners Henniel Smit and Wilhelm Fismer.

BCCC, located at 141 - 143 Dorp Street in Stellenbosch, trades from Monday to Fridays (7h00 to 17h00) and on Saturdays (8h00 to 12h30).

For more information, visit https://bluecranecoffeecompany.com or follow BCCC on Facebook and Instagram.

Issued by: HATCH COMMUNICATION

Pictures: SUPPLIED & WineTourismZA