Your coffee is changing the world (no, really).

Alongside reducing carbon, we also measure the plastic waste avoided through your coffee subscription.

A typical 1 kg bag of coffee sold in conventional packaging uses a multi-layer plastic bag weighing around 40 g. While small on its own, this quickly adds up when multiplied across hundreds of kilos of coffee.

Because we use certified compostable bags and a reusable tub scheme, that plastic is avoided entirely every time a customer orders from us.

That means:

• For every 1 kg of coffee, 40 g of plastic is saved.
  
• Over 200 kg of coffee, that adds up to 8 kg of single-use plastic avoided — plastic that won’t end up in landfill or as waste in the environment.

By choosing compostable packaging and refillable tubs, you and your team are making a measurable difference in cutting out single-use plastics from the supply chain.

We want to be transparent about the numbers behind your impact. To do this, we worked with ClimatePartner, an independent organisation that specialises in product carbon footprinting. They conducted a full Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) for our coffee — measuring every stage from cultivation and processing, right through to roasting, packaging, transport, and end-of-life disposal.

Their report shows that the average carbon footprint of 1 kg of coffee amounts to 10.08 kg of CO₂e. ClimatePartner also recommends applying a 10% safety margin to ensure accuracy, which brings the total to 11.09 kg CO₂e per kg of coffee.

Because we roast off-grid with renewable energy, we avoid these emissions in our process. That means for every kilogram of coffee you enjoy, your subscription helps prevent around 11.09 kg of CO₂e from being released into the atmosphere.

For context:

• 200 kg of coffee (a typical annual supply for one of our wholesale partners) equates to 2.2 tonnes of CO₂e avoided — the same as the emissions from driving over 5,000 miles in an average petrol car.

By using ClimatePartner’s independent assessment, we can show your impact with confidence — and give you a verified, trustworthy figure to share with your team and your customers.

Paying farmers fairly is at the heart of what we do. To show the impact your subscription has, we compare the price we pay for our green coffee against the Fairtrade minimum price.

As of 2025, the Fairtrade minimum for washed arabica is $1.80 per pound (around $3.96 per kg). This acts as a global safety net for farmers, protecting them from the volatility of commodity markets.

At Apostle, the prices we pay for green coffee are consistently higher than this baseline. By sourcing through direct and long-term relationships with cooperatives and smallholder farmers, we ensure producers receive a price that reflects both quality and sustainability.

To calculate your contribution:

• We take the total kilograms of coffee you’ve had to date,
  
• Multiply this by the difference between our average price paid and the Fairtrade minimum,
  
• And show this as your “Contribution to fair pay” figure on this page.
  

For example:

• If we pay $5.50/kg on average for a coffee, compared to the $3.96/kg Fairtrade minimum, that’s $1.54 more per kg.
  
• Over 200 kg of coffee, your subscription contributes around $308 extra directly into farmers’ pockets compared to the minimum.
  

This isn’t charity — it’s a fairer, more sustainable way of trading, ensuring that the people growing your coffee are properly rewarded for their work and can invest in their families, farms, and communities.