Sustainability
From crop to cup, we are committed to sustainability and quality in our products, minimizing our environmental impact and empowering our partner farmers. Our team is constantly examining and reexamining every aspect of our business to make sure we are operating in the most efficient and sustainable ways possible. Wicked Joe purchases renewable energy credits and carbon offsets to neutralize emissions in the equivalent amount of 100% of our production facility's electrical use and are proud to have a new solar array that powers our renovated tea building and beyond.
Solar
Our Wicked Joe Roasting facility has two different kinds of solar energy collectors. A solar heating system on our southern wall helps lower energy costs during the heating season by dramatically boosting the temperature of incoming fresh air. There is also a solar photovoltaic system on the roof over our entrance that will offset our electricity bill by creating clean energy for the public grid. Solar power can compensate for both our thermal and electrical use!
In 2020, as a continuing commitment to using sustainable, renewable, clean energy we installed a 36 KW array of 96 ground mounted panels with our partners at ReVision Energy. This new array by our tea building has an annual generation of 45,900 KWH or 48,562 pounds of annual carbon offset.
Composting
Chaff is the green dried skin on the coffee bean when picked. During the roasting process, hot temperatures cause the chaff to peel off. It is then blown out of the roasting chamber into holding buckets, becoming a waste product. We team up with a local composting company Agricycle who picks up our chaff once or twice a week and takes it to recycle into their own compost products. Wicked Joe is proud to say that we divert over 40,000 lbs. of chaff each year from the waste stream, contributing to our mission to roast coffee in the most sustainable way possible.
Electric Vehicles and Charging Station
In 2017 Electric vehicle sales increased 54% worldwide to more than 3 million. Today in 2025, the sales of EV's are expected to exceed 20 million, representing a quarter of all the cars sold worldwide. On average it costs half as much to charge up an electric vehicle as it does to fuel up a gas powered one and EV's are 3 to 4 times more efficient (EPA ratings for electric vehicles are more than 100 miles to the gallon equivalent). On the side of our roasting facility we have a charging station to ensure plug in hybrid electric vehicles are ready to roll. This charging port relies on one of our solar energy systems, meaning that the charge is from a completely renewable energy source! Since 2014 our charger has been free and available 24/7 with easy access for public use.
Burlap
Our green coffee beans are delivered to us from our farmers inside burlap bags. Coffee farmers use burlap bags due to their natural breathability which helps prevent moisture buildup and spoilage. Additionally, burlap bags offer durability which is crucial for the transportation and storage of the beans. To keep these bags out of our waste stream Wicked Joe works to recycle 100% of our bags to be used locally by farmers, many DYI projects and even by our Inland Fisheries and Wildlife partners who used them in local streams to capture fish eggs and transport them to stock Maine lakes and ponds.
B Corp Certified
The B Corp Certification confirms Wicked Joe's ongoing efforts to leverage our business to address social and environmental issues while staying accountable to our employees, customers, suppliers and the planet. As an organization we have altered the legal framework of our company to specifically protect our stakeholders and preserve our values over time. "We wanted to be a mission based company long before B Corp started " explains Bob Garver, co-owner. "We always strive to be a better company and this certification quantifies our efforts by third party." Wicked Joe is elated to say that in 2022, for the 5th year in a row, we scored in the top 5% of B Corp companies in the world in "Community". This distinction Best for the World in Community rates efforts and top performances of business that contribute to the social and economical well-being of the communities in which they operate. From our Maine rocky coast to the shores around the globe we are proud to have a positive impact on the communities we engage with and thank everyone who supports the work we do.
