Sustainability
Naturally Healthy Communities
** Latest News***
We have put some work into the "Bean" (our Volkswagen Beetle) to get it running very efficiently. This is one of our co-op's two fuel-efficient cars. This one runs on used vegetable oil from deep fryers, while our other one is a hybrid. The Bean needs to be warmed up with diesel, then is switched over to veggie oil once the oil viscosity is right. Jeff has been working on a goal to drive the car 1000 kms on 1/4 tank of diesel. If you see him coasting down the highway, give a wave to encourage him along in his carbon-reducing travels.
Social Indicators
|
International Community Indicators |
2010 |
2009 |
|
Core Products that are Fair Trade certified |
100% |
100% |
|
Fair Trade Premiums paid to producer co-ops for |
$89,302 |
$72,643 |
|
Fair Trade Fees for Product Certification |
$55,548 |
$52,483 |
|
Average paid for coffee above the Fair Trade and organic minimum |
76% |
50% |
|
Local Community Indicators |
||
|
Employee benefits |
$145,797 |
$112,379 |
|
Support for Local Community Organizations and Social |
$37,979 |
$52,650 |
|
Key Organizational Indicators |
2010 |
2009 |
|
Employees at end of year |
69 |
70 |
|
Number of full time employees/part time |
56/13 |
53/18 |
|
Women/men employees |
42/27 |
38/32 |
|
Management positions (women in management) |
5(3) |
4(1) |
|
Highest to lowest wage ratio |
4:1 |
4:1 |
|
Investment in Employee Training |
$92,648 |
$40,754 |
|
Number or Worker Members |
13 |
14 |
|
Number of Community Investors |
375 |
398 |
|
Investments through a NS Community Economic |
$256,000 |
$256,000 |
Key Performance Indicators
|
WASTE |
2010 |
|
Number of bags sold in Just Us! Coffeehouses |
50809 |
|
Drinks from coffeehouses sold in a travel mug |
17% |
|
ENERGY |
|
|
Energy use in 2010 |
409,960 kWh |
|
Energy offset by renewable wind and hydro electricity from Bullfrog Power |
263,310 kWh |
|
Number of solar panels at the Head Office and Roastery |
6 |
|
CARBON |
|
|
Estimate carbon produced from head office, coffeehouses, and roastery (inputs are fuels, energy use, and flights only, Does not include rental vehicles, inbound and outbound shipping or other contributions) |
424 Tonnes |
|
WATER |
|
|
Total water use in all operations except Barrington |
3,585,016 L |
|
Average daily water use at Grand Pre |
3,029 L |
|
FOOD |
|
|
Core products that are organic |
100% |
|
Organic food purchased for coffeehouses |
40% (approx) |
|
Animal meat products purchased that are free range |
100% |
|
GOAL |
PROGRESS |
PLAN |
|
To reduce our retail coffee bag use at our coffeehouses |
Pilot project planned for reusable bags and tins |
To implement in all coffeehouses in 2011 |
|
|
Currently have 17% |
To offer a more affordable reusable mug in 2011 |
|
To offset 100% of our electricity consumption for 2011 |
Offset 64% of our 2010 electricity use. |
To continue matching our electricity use with Bullfrog |
|
To offset 20% of our carbon output by planting trees |
We gave away and planted 200 trees in 2010 |
To plant 400 indigenous trees in Nova Scotia in 2011 |
|
To integrate water mitigating systems |
Installed toilet bladders at the head office and roastery to |
Install low flow toilets and no flush urinals as replacements |
|
|
|
To profile local farm partners and to increase ingredient traceability from suppliers |
Our Sustainable Development Committee has been working to further activities and reporting related to our ‘triple bottom line’ approach to business. Just Us! strives to put people and the planet before profits in the hope that we can make a difference by helping advance a consumer movement that increasingly respects the human and natural value associated with everyday products, while remaining conscious of our impacts in our everyday operations.
The committee members have focused on developing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and collecting baseline data so that our co-op can begin to track our environmental and social performance alongside our financial position. This will allow us to set definitive goals for social and environmental impacts in the future. This year the committee also implemented some important energy, water and waste monitoring, reduction and offsetting projects.
Our hope is that this report will help people connected to Just Us! further understand our commitment to our mission. We also hope that it will become a useful tool for our co-op to continue its progressive action towards helping create a healthy planet and healthy communities, even if just in small ways from a global context.
Bullfrog Power
Just Us! is one of the founding members of Bullfrog Power in Nova Scotia. In the fall of 2009 our head offices, coffeehouse and Roastery in Grand Pre became part of this Green Power initiative. In September of 2010 all of our coffeehouse locations have also moved to this service which uses wind and/or low impact hydro power. For more information on this exciting project visit their website.
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