Sustainable Brews: How Fresh Roasted Coffee is Making Every Cup Count
Katelinne H.
Tuesday, April 01, 2025
At Fresh Roasted Coffee, we believe that great coffee should be for everybody—without costing the planet or your wallet . By adopting sustainable business practices, we’re not only reducing our environmental footprint but also lowering our own production costs. That means we can bring you high-quality, ethically sourced coffee at more accessible prices . Sustainability isn’t just good for the earth—it’s good for you, too. Here’s how we’re making every sip more sustainable.
Sustainable Energy Production and Efficiency
"Sustainability is a no-brainer. If it reduces my carbon emissions, and saves me money - it's a good investment."
Powering over 30 pieces of state-of-the art equipment in our 48,000 square foot facility requires a lot of electricity, and the cost to do so was enormous. So, in 2024, we completed a massive undertaking - a 753.25 kWh solar array that is designed to generate enough energy to exceed our facility's needs.
Not only did the installation of panels greatly reduce our electric bill, but it also gave us the opportunity to make some sweeping improvements that would improve our energy efficiency overall - including a new, insulated roof, and a white top to reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption.
You can read more about this project here --> FRC Goes Solar: The Path to Sustainability
Easily one of the largest draws on our energy usage is the act of roasting coffee, which also happens to cause harmful effects on the environment. According to several studies, traditional coffee roasting (using gas-powered drum roasters) makes up 15% of coffee's total emission contribution and produces on average 1.2 lbs of CO2 for each pound of coffee roasted. For a company like ours, which roasted over 2 million lbs of coffee last year, that would equate to over 1088 tonnes of CO2 emitted, if we used traditional drum roasters.
But we don't.
We use Loring™ Smart Roasters.
Our formidable fleet of Loring Smart Roasters includes three Peregrines, one Kestrel, and one Nighthawk. These cutting-edge machines reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional roasters, thanks to their smokeless, closed-loop system. By recirculating hot air , Lorings not only maintain ideal roasting temperatures but also significantly lower our overall energy consumption. We even take advantage of this heat during colder months, using it to reduce our facility’s heating needs—another way we ensure efficiency without waste.
You can learn more about our Lorings here --> Roasting With Loring Smart Roasters
From Vacancy to Vibrancy: The Sunbury Textile Mill
In 2022, Fresh Roasted Coffee's owner and founder, Andrew Oakes, was actively seeking a new home for his swiftly-growing business. It didn't take long to set his sights on one of many historic sites in the city of Sunbury, PA - the Sunbury Silk Mill.
The Sunbury Silk Mill was built in the late 1890s and has famously housed a number of manufacturers over the last 120 years, until finally closing in 2020 due to COVID. The building remained empty for over two years, much to the dismay of local residents, many of whom found employment in the old building.
Oakes, seeing the opportunity in the facility and the value of reopening a prominent place of employment, purchased the Sunbury Silk Mill, and moved his business in.
Many updates and changes were made to the 84,000 square foot facility to improve efficiency and decrease waste - including installing new HVAC systems, updating outdated lighting, and replacing damaged doors, windows, and flooring.
Instead of building a brand-new facility, Fresh Roasted Coffee chose to revitalize a historic, vacant mill, repurposing an existing structure rather than allowing it to fall into disrepair and creating unnecessary waste. By breathing new life into this space, we’ve minimized our environmental impact and returned lost jobs to our local community, all while preserving a piece of history. Sustainability isn’t just about new technology and innovation—it’s about making mindful choices, and this was certainly one of them.
Compostable, Recyclable, Responsible
Sustainability means reducing waste at every level of our process. Here’s how we’re making an impact:
envipods®: BPI certified compostable coffee pods —offer an eco-friendly k-cup compatible alternative that breaks down naturally after use. Every part of the envipod is compostable - including the ring and the wrapper.
Recyclable packaging - helps cut down on landfill waste while keeping your favorite brews fresh! All of our tea and botanical packaging, coffee pod packaging, plastic coffee pods, and aluminum espresso capsules are recyclable.
Coffee chaff - a lightweight roasting byproduct that we donate to local gardens and farms to enrich soil as natural compost, giving back to the community and reducing waste.
By recycling, composting, and repurposing materials wherever possible, we’re ensuring that every delicious cup of coffee of tea you enjoy costs less - less money, less waste, and less damage.
Supporting Farmers and Organic Practices
"The network of relationships you build as a business is what holds everything together.”
At Fresh Roasted Coffee, we believe that sustainability starts at the source. That’s why we prioritize ethically sourced coffee from farms that use responsible growing practices. Our partnerships support fair wages, community development, and environmentally friendly farming techniques to ensure a more sustainable coffee industry.
