For those diners who are keen to support cafes that are truly committed to environmentally sound and socially responsible practices for their businesses, Conscious Consumers was launched in Auckland this week. The award-winning community-initiative has been created to make it simpler for Auckland’s Cafe-Lovers To Choose Cafes with a ‘Clear Conscience.’
The Conscious Consumers cafe project is not-for-profit, and has been successfully operating in Wellington for the last year. Now the Auckland Council is supporting its launch in Auckland alongside 18 cafes in Auckland’s central city suburbs that have already signed up to the project.
The Scout-inspired badges recognise a cafe’s commitment to sustainable business practices. These Awards, or ‘Badges’ are displayed inside the cafe’s front window, which communicates the range of practices employed to customers. For example, certified fairtrade coffee, free-range eggs, composting foodscraps or committed use of seasonal produce. www.consciousconsumers.org.nz.
National Co-ordinator Ben Gleisner says the Conscious Consumers cafe project empowers customers to make informed purchasing choices and incentivises cafes to commit to waste minimisation and other business practices with positive outcomes.
“We believe the nine cafe-specific business practices promoted by Conscious Consumers make good business sense, respect people and the environment, and reflect current consumer preferences.
“Ultimately it’s about enabling a connection between conscious consumers and like-minded cafes in the community. As we’ve already shown in Wellington it successfully demonstrates how ethical choices can be good for business, ” he says of the project, which recently won a 2011 Ministry for the Environment Green Ribbon Award and is set to expand into the Waikato region in August.
Auckland Co-ordinator Nadine Wakim says she is excited about establishing Conscious Consumers in Auckland with support from Auckland Council, business associations, suppliers, local cafes and a growing base of ‘conscious’ consumers.
“Based on the excellent response we’ve had from cafes that have joined the project so far we’re certainly off to a great start and I look forward to expanding the number of ‘conscious’ cafes in the region and promoting them to Aucklanders and visitors to our city!”
Angie Redfern, of Ripe Deli in Ponsonby, was one of the first cafe owners in Auckland to sign up to Conscious Consumers. “It’s great firstly for a business to be acknowledged for its environmental efforts, as often businesses are taking a risk with increased costs so they can follow their values, and secondly, it increases awareness for everyone. So goodness all round!” she says.
The first group of ‘conscious’ cafes in Auckland include:
• Roasted Addiqtion in Kingsland
• Little Hero in Point Chevalier
• Milk Cafe and Kokako in Parnell
• Cosset in Mt Albert
• Altezano Espresso Bars in Newmarket, CBD and Eden Terrance
• The Library Cafe and Cafe Tran in Onehunga
• Federal & Wolfe and Remedy Coffee in Auckland’s CBD
• Zest Cafe in Newton
• Queenies Lunchroom in Freemans Bay
• Ripe Deli and Monterey Coffee Lounge in Grey Lynn
• Bloom Cafe and Function Rooms at Eden Garden, Epsom
• Garnet Station in Westmere
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
