In 2005 we received the CRD EcoStar award, now we've challenged ourselves to better our own environmental initiatives.

Our facility

In 2008, Level Ground became a certified organic processing facility!  This means that every year our facility and practices are audited by the Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS) and that we comply with the National Standards of Canada for Organic Agriculture. As an organic facility, we ensure that the integrity of the organic products we process are maintained and that our processes, including the chemicals we use, are environmentally friendly.

Post-Consumer Reclamation

Customers can bring empty Level Ground coffee, fruit and sugar packages back to select stores and cafés, who will then return the packages to Level Ground for reclamation. When we started out reclaiming the packages, about 3 years ago, they were being sent to a 'waste to energy' facility in Vancouver. We've improved that by forwarding the empty packages to be 'upcycled' by a women's group. The women sew the coffee packages together into shopping bags, purses and wallets.

Facility Waste—Beyond the Blue Box (we don’t have a dumpster!)

In our facility, staff think critically about how to alter our purchasing practices so as to further eliminate waste. Our goal is to be conscientious of the complete life cycle of the products we purchase. To accomplish this, we take into account manufacturing practices, distance traveled, composition of the material, and possibilities for recycling. To accomplish this low waste goal, we use extensive composting and maintain 13 different streams for recycling including: metal, soft plastic, hard plastic, styrofoam, food contaminated Styrofoam, packing peanuts, gable top cartons, foil products, paper, cardboard, glass and refundable drink containers.

Trade Show Waste

Our tradeshow and community events are run on a zero waste to landfills policy. This is achieved in part by offering multi-stream recycling on-site and handing out samples in our compost-able 'Ecotainer' cups.

Staff & the Environment

Green Transportation

The Level Ground team stepped up to the Bike to Work Week challenge with 8 staff commuting by bike—a big commitment for a peninsula-based company with staff who largely reside more than 20km away. On an on-going basis, staff who regularly cycle, bus or carpool to work are paid a monthly green transportation bonus.