ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Baristas love Mother Nature as much as they love their loyal customers at the quirky Black Crow Coffee Co.
The hangout in St. Petersburg's Old Northeast neighborhood is the first coffee shop in Florida to be deemed “zero waste” by the environmental company Suncoast Compost.
The designation means 90 percent of the shop’s waste is kept out of Pinellas County landfills.
“The journey didn’t start off with us wanting to become zero waste,” says owner Deana Hawk. “The journey started with us wanting to make changes.”
Black Crow uses organic and biodegradable cups, sleeves and coffee bags. Everything is compostable.
Customers are urged not only to forgo lids, but to bring in their own cups and to-go containers to cut down on waste.
One corner of the cozy shop is dedicated to all the things they compost and how customers can help the environment. “Worms love us!” one sign reads.
“People come in here and they’re reading, they’re talking, they’re singing, they’re hanging out,” says Deana. “So when they see that corner of compostable stuff and it looks crazy, that starts a dialogue, and that dialogue goes out into the community.”
