Environmentally friendly coffee breaks, fair club nights

IPI Kulmakuppila
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Helsinki's cafés and bars pay attention to sustainable development in products and serving arrangements, but a fair atmosphere adds yet another layer of responsibility. The favourite treat at Cargo Coffee is the vegan banoffee pie, Post Bar serves locally produced environmentally mindful drinks, and IPI Kulmakuppila is committed to employing people with disabilities.

A sustainable coffee break should have great treats, fair products and an environmentally friendly location. Fairly traded, organic or vegan drinks, and a safe atmosphere where one need not worry about discrimination or harassment all make for a mindful night on the town.

Food and drinks have been central to the sustainability steps that cafés and bars have taken so far. Many establishments also offer snacks and meals with a simple golden rule: the more vegetables, the better.

There are also sustainable choices to be made with drinks, such as with vegan wines, organic beers and Fair Trade coffee and tea. Local products are always a good choice.

"It is important to indicate these options clearly for the customers so that they can make an effortless choice", says Think tank Demos Helsinki's Senior Expert Satu Lähteenoja

In addition to food and drink, energy and heat contribute greatly to an establishment's carbon footprint. Switching an energy contract to one that uses renewables is already a fairly straight-forward step. District heating can also be delivered from a renewable energy source.

"District heating in Helsinki still often derives from coal, but the local energy provider Helen has also biogas-based, renewable district heating. Many are still not aware of this option. Demand can help to improve the availability of such choices", Lähteenoja says.

IPI Kulmakuppila
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IPI Kulmakuppila has unique service

Found in the Kallio district, IPI Kulmakuppila is a special café in Helsinki: the establishment's staff includes individuals with learning disabilities, along with their mentors. The café has partnered with the local NGO Lyhty to develop different employment possibilities. IPI aims to make the training and hiring of people with learning disabilities more visible. The IPI community is fully visible and serves with an open heart, much to the satisfaction of customers.

"In addition to customer service, our disabled staff members train in many skills together with their mentors. The logistics team picks up deliveries, the cleaning team keeps work clothes tidy, and another small group does baking training at the nearby Avikainen bakery", says Lyhty's development manager Anu Ihanus.

Having previously worked at Lyhty as a counsellor, Ihanus also encourages other restaurants and cafés to offer training opportunities to disabled people more boldly. Businesses may also find it attractive for offer paid positions down the road, says Ihanus.

"Many establishments would probably find opportunities for per-hour employment suitable for people with special needs. When there is a proper introduction and the tasks are clearly defined and customised, they work with great dedication and often with an even greater drive than many others." 

In addition to social responsibility, IPI also pays close attention to environmental topics. IPI was inspired by an initiative of responsible choices to examine their energy and electricity usage and sources, with a wish to transfer current contracts to ones with renewable energy.

The café offers plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as organic and local food. The proportion of vegan food has been growing.

"The demand is bigger and bigger, and we meet this with more supply when we find good products. For instance, the donuts baked at the nearby Avikainen bakery are vegan, as are two thirds of our lunchtime salads."

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Post Bar thrives on equal treatment

Situated in Helsinki's Sörnäinen district, Post Bar's visitors can hardly have missed for instance the bathroom stickers that encourage anyone who is encountering difficulties to find a staff member.

"It might be easier to turn to the staff for help, and they can then call security if needed. Our runners have walkie-talkies which they can use to call help quickly when necessary", says co-owner Joni Lindroos.     

Paying attention and prevention are key. According to Lindroos, this is a way to ensure that everyone's club night experiences turns out as enjoyable and safe as possible, and that no-one needs to fear discrimination or harassment.

Post Bar is also a fair employer and booker: the stage welcomes artists equally from all backgrounds, cultures and genders, and there is a wish to hire also staff who have a hard time finding a job because of limited language skills or lack of education.

To the joy of customers, Post Bar serves plenty of vegan, organic and locally produced feel-good drinks.

"We have a good selection of natural wines with no additives or fining agents. With beer, we favour a local selection such as the Vallila, Stadin Panimo and Suomenlinna breweries", says Lindroos.

Post Bar still has work to do on the road to sustainability, for instance in energy and electricity matters. The club rents their premises from a bigger compound, which means that a shift to renewable energy needs to be done together with others. Waste management and recycling are already in a good state.

"On the other hand, that's also easy for us. There is hardly any loss, and our waste is primarily cardboard, recyclable bottles and glass", Lindroos ponders.  

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The most central viewpoint in terms of restaurants is what is on the plate. The more vegetarian food we eat, the better this is for the climate. Another major topic is food waste.

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Helsinki's cafés and bars pay attention to sustainable development in products and serving arrangements, but a fair atmosphere adds yet another layer of responsibility. Cargo Coffee, Post Bar and IPI Kulmakuppila can share good examples.
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