Sustainability. Your Questions Answered.

Here are our most frequently asked questions on sustainability. 

B Corp Certification - what does it mean?

B Corp was formed in 2006 built on the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible, it was necessary.  “Benefit for all” is a shared core value - businesses work towards benefitting people, communities and the planet.

Presto Coffee has been verified as a business which has a positive social and environmental impact, which is what we call B Corp status. Companies have to recertify every 3 years to ensure high standards are continually met.

Rainforest Alliance Certified - what does it mean?

It’s all about the frog.  This amphibious stamp of approval means you are supporting farmers who look after their workers and the planet’s natural resources. 

The Rainforest Alliance ensures our coffee beans are sourced in a way which contributes to better farming practices, fights against the climate crisis, conserves our forests and the livelihoods of the farmers and their workers. 

Recycling - can I recycle Presto’s packaging?

100% of our packaging is recyclable, all from the comfort of your home.  This includes the lining of our pouches - technology has moved on. Hooray! No more trips to the tip or specialist recycling centre.  

Air-roasting - what is it and why do you do it?

Air-roasting is a modern method of roasting coffee beans using 40% less energy than traditional drum roasting. 

Our beans are gently roasted with a highly regulated, continuous flow of hot air, using heating and cooling technology.

Presto is one of only a few companies in the world to use this method.

We believe it produces a more consistent flavour and minimises the environmental impact of coffee roasting.

Most coffee in UK supermarkets is drum roasted. This is a traditional method of roasting beans on a large scale.  Drum roasting isn’t very energy efficient. The heating of the drum, the roasting of the coffee, and the water ‘quenching’ and cooling all happens in the same chamber. It’s a bit like boiling the kettle, letting it cool down, then boiling it again right away!

Rather than roasting and cooling in a single chamber, air roasting relies on a recirculatory system with two chambers. Instead of wasting the heat energy that roasts the beans, it’s re-used to pre-heat our green beans before roasting. So one chamber stays hot and the other stays cool.