Drink Coffee. Go Outside. If you've been following us for awhile, you've likely heard this motto or seen it on a t-shirt somewhere. While it's got a nice ring to it and general messaging that everyone can get behind, there's more to it than just a motto.
The goal behind Drink Coffee Go Outside is to become active stewards instead of passive participants. Enjoying the great outdoors is one pillar of a balanced lifestyle - but connecting to the Earth by caring for it is an all-encompassing mission for us. From our relationships with our farming partners, their fermentation processes, putting a coffee shop in the woods, our active partnerships with composting & CSA organizations, how we source our cups & lids… the list goes on. There’s always more that can be done to reduce our footprint - and we are always learning - but we are proud to be a business that prioritizes the environment.
We’ve highlighted a couple of steps that you can take with us here at Airship to be true stewards of the Earth.
1. Leave the Keys
Walk, run, ride your bike, cartwheel, roller skate - any way that you can show up to one of our cafes without getting in a car, we are stoked about. If you leave the keys you can get a 10% discount off your order. All you have to do is tell your barista how you got there. They’ll give you a high five and a discount!
2. Join Our Canister Club
Our canister club is one of the most effective ways we have been able to reduce single-use waste. These canisters come with a patented lid that dispels air to preserve and protect your coffee. The valve forces air out and keeps coffee freshness in while still allowing it to "breath". There's no BPA, no air making your coffee stale, all the while eliminating your need for packaging. Did we mention that the canister holds coffee equal to TWO of our retail bags? That means less trips to come and fill it. Less waste, double the coffee, less commuting for coffee. That’s what we call a win/win/win.
3. BYOC.
If you bring your own cup, we’ll give you another high five and 10% off your order! Helping us keep cups and lids out of the landfill is an extremely effective way to reduce everyone’s footprint. Plus, it’ll save you money every time.
(Pst, we have some really neat camp mugs that are perfect for on the go and will get you that discount!)
4. Start Composting.
Composting diverts food waste away from landfills where it’s inherently non-biodegradable. By composting, your food waste will eventually land on a local farm in the form of nutrient rich soil. Talk about reduce, reuse, recycle - composting hits all of the major points.
Our friends at Ozark Compost & Swap have developed one of the coolest composting programs we’ve seen. They’re on a mission to make composting more approachable. They provide the bins, the guidelines, and will pick-up your compost at your doorstep. For you, it’s as easy as putting food waste into a different trash can! Plus, if you join our canister club, they’ll refill your canister and place it on your doorstep. Major bonus points.
5. Ditch the straws and lids.
We are intentional about sourcing compostable lids and straws. Despite this intention, the lids and straws often end up in landfills where they aren’t able to compost. The best way to solve this problem is to not use them. At both of our locations, our baristas will hand you your coffee in just the cup and you have the option to grab a lid and straw. We vote you don’t! Less waste = healthier planet. Easy math.
6. Join a local CSA.
CSA Programs (Community Supported Agriculture) are an incredible way to support local farmers and receive local produce. We partner with Cobblestone Farms and The Food Conservancy as pickup locations for both of their CSAs. These programs allow for money to go directly into the pockets of small-scale local farmers, fund programs partnering with agencies to address food insecurity in Northwest Arkansas, AND develop sustainable programs for the future. Doesn’t get better than that.