How the Bean2Bean Partnership with The Rounds is Helping Us Become More Sustainable
The internet is a buzz regarding sustainable practices and sustainable packaging. Brands are quite vocal on sustainability, but only a small fraction of CPG brands put it into practice, making it simply an internet buzzword.
We at Bean2Bean wanted to be a part of those companies taking action. Thanks to our partnership with zero-waste startup The Rounds, we are making it a reality.
The Rounds is a zero-waste, refill, and delivery startup that is based in Philadelphia, PA. Their operation is building a closed-loop supply chain, bringing in sustainability and convenience at the same time. The startup provides homes across Philly with the opportunity to receive products in sustainable packaging.
How does it work?
To understand The Rounds' model and how we at Bean2bean are making it work, we need to look at the milk-man model. We used to leave our empty milk bottles outside early in the morning for the milkman, who would take the used bottles and replace them with refilled milk bottles. That's what The Rounds is implementing across Philly, this time not just limited to milk.
For us at Bean2Bean, we receive our raw green coffee in burlap bags. We then roast our coffee and put the fresh roasted coffee in food-safe reusable containers. These containers stow our best-selling blend of Schuylkill Select and a single origin Organic Colombia Tolima.
When the coffee is delivered to The Rounds, we swap out the reusable containers from the previous delivery. The team at The Rounds takes our reusable buckets and repackages all the coffee into reusable glass jars. The Rounds will deliver Philadelphia's favorite coffee all around the city to The Rounds members on foot or using their electric scooters and bicycles.
What Does This Mean for You?
The process is even more simplified for the user. According to the founders, to start the process you will have a quick onboarding to understand your buying patterns. From the app, you get to pick over 100 curated essentials such as pantry, cleaning, personal care, and of course, Bean2Bean Coffee.
Next, you'll build a schedule that will inform what needs to be managed and how. Once that's done, you'll receive a refill day where the delivery team will reach out to you with your listed items.
The Results?
The Rounds were quick to see through our processes and come up with impactful implementations to reduce the use of single-use plastic. Through our partnership with The Rounds and adhering to their valuable advice and innovative supply chain solutions, we now use 20% less plastic bags in our processes. A small but important step towards a more sustainable future.
“We are thrilled to be working with The Rounds and partnering in the vision for a sustainable future of convenient service with zero-waste.
From the raw coffee arriving at our roastery in biodegradable burlap bags, to the reusable glass coffee containers that make it into your kitchen, a dedication for an eco-friendly supply chain was our core focus.”
-Obel Hernandez Jr., VP Strategic Partnerships
Our strides in creating a sustainable future may be small, but it would be a larger mistake if we did nothing. The Rounds' partnership has been revelationary for us to understand how we can provide an impactful way towards sustainable packaging.
We hope that this partnership continues to help us fine-tune our efforts even better in the future.
Start building your own bundle on The Rounds here