Glass jars prove a hit at The Roastery Espresso Bar

Serena Harper fills a glass jar with coffee beans. Photo / David Haxton

A waste levy grant has helped a Paraparaumu coffee bean roasting company reduce its environmental footprint.

The Roastery Espresso Bar, in Sheffield St, had been using a lot of foil-lined bags which weren’t recyclable or compostable and led to significant landfill waste.

So Pete Evans and Serena Harper introduced reusable glass jars alongside the bags, and the initiative has been a hit with customers.

Customers can purchase either a 200g or 500g glass jar, from a range of six coffee varieties, and take it home.

Once they’ve used the coffee, they can take the jar back and swap it for a new one.

The result is a circular, sustainable packaging model similar to the old milk bottle system.

“Customers absolutely love it,” Evans said.

“We’re probably swapping about 100 jars a week.

“I only know of one other roastery in the Wellington region that does some jar reuse.

“It’s all about reducing waste and being more aware of the amount of rubbish that we put into the landfill.”

The process of packaging has become easier too.

“Under the old system, we would have to fill a bag, weigh it, stamp it and seal it, but the new system only involves sterilising the jar, filling it, and putting a manufacturing date on it,” Harper said.

Both said the reusable glass jar system had been strengthened by a waste levy fund grant from Kāpiti Coast District Council.

Serena Harper and Pete Evans at The Roastery Espresso Bar. Photo / David Haxton

Waste levy grants funding comes from the Government out of the levies paid by contractors to dump waste in landfills. No rates funding is involved.

“We’re very appreciative of the grant,” Harper said.

Evans started The Roastery in 2016 after becoming passionate about coffee bean roasting.

It began as a hobby using a basic popcorn maker, which performed well.

Soon he invested in two state-of-the-art Probat roasters from Germany, and the business has gone from strength to strength.

Evans met Harper when she inquired about her prized La Pavoni coffee machine, which needed a thorough maintenance check.

He provided advice to help her service the machine herself and that led to her selling her Raumati Coffee Company brand at The Roastery.

By early 2023 they combined their brands, passion and expertise to create The Roastery Espresso Bar.

The business, open seven days a week, sells coffee, roasted coffee beans [either whole or grinded] and has hands-on coffee bean roasting tours, as well as some pinball machines.

It has loyal customers and has been a hit with people from overseas who visit via two tour operators.

Evans summed up the business vibe.

“It’s fun.”