Grounds for Change is a family-owned and operated coffee roasting business located on the Kitsap Peninsula due west of downtown Seattle. We roast our 100% fair trade, organic coffee in small batches to ensure that you receive the freshest coffee possible.
All of our coffee is Fair for Life Fair Trade certified and our organic certification meets the stringent Organic Processor Standards enforced by the USDA and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Additionally, our coffee is Carbon-Free Certified by CarbonFund.org, which means that the complete carbon footprint (from crop to cup) is offset with tree planting. Much of the coffee we sell is grown in shaded conditions which helps to support healthy habitat for migratory birds.
A number of community-based programs in coffee-growing countries directly benefit from the purchase of our coffee. For example, farmers in Peru receive a higher price per pound for their coffee (above and beyond the going rate for certified coffee) to help support local domestic violence intervention programs and small business loans for women.
Grounds for Change is a sustainable business and we are long-standing members of the Green America Business Network Leadership Forum. Below are examples of what we are doing to achieve our goals:
- Use 100% renewable energy and offset all of our CO2 emissions, including those from coffee growing, roasting operations, packaging, inbound freight, outbound shipping and customer's water heating.
- Purchase and print on paper made from 100% recycled content and recycle all office paper, toner cartridges, cardboard, glass, metal and plastic.
- Recycle all of our empty burlap coffee bags by donating them to local organic farmers for weed suppression and erosion control.
- Recycle all of our coffee chaff, the organic by-product of the roasting process, by giving it to local, organic farmers to be used as a nitrogen-rich soil amendment.
- Recycle all inbound freight pallets by donating them to local businesses for reuse.
- Donate well over 1% of our gross annual sales to social and environmental organizations as part of our membership with 1% For The Planet.
- Work closely with organizations promoting positive change including Rainforest Trust, Seattle Audubon Society, Save Our Wild Salmon, Cafe Femenino Foundation and many other local and national non-profits.
