Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt of Green Day apparently love coffee. So much so, that they founded ‘Oakland Coffee‘, their own sustainable and fair-trade coffee company.
Most notably, Oakland Coffee is home to compostable single-serve coffee pods – the first of their kind in the world. Their pods and other packaging are certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute.
Fueled By Love
Their beans are organically grown by local farmers in Central and South America. The charity branch of the company, Fueled By Love, aims to improve quality of life for these rural farmers. This is done in partnership with local non-profit Crescendos Alliance. They deal with issues like access to medical care, water infrastructure, and a lack of educational resources for children.
“Fair trade is a good thing, but knowing and taking care of the farmers – that’s the fairest trade”, said co-founder Mike Dirnt.
The coffee itself
The company boasts four flavours;
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- Atomic Garden – A medium-dark roast whole bean blend, with a smooth full flavour. Sourced from Honduras and Colombia.
- Cerra De Oro – A medium-dark single origin roast with a balanced nutty flavour. Sourced from Guatemala.
- Straight Edge – A medium-dark blend. The decaf roast has a robust, velvety flavour. Sourced from Honduras and Nicaragua.
- Guapa Chiapas – A medium single origin roast with a deep, rounded flavour. Sourced from Chiapas, Mexico.
Leading the way
It’s not the most traditional side-business for a punk rock band to be running. Most people choose to start clothing companies or record labels. Travis Barker of Blink-182 has his clothing label, and Fat Mike from NOFX continues his punk rock legacy through Fat Wreck Chords, the label he founded in 1991.
The creation of an environmentally sustainable coffee company is awesome, and hopefully sets a precedent for others to aim for sustainability with their own products.
