Joining forces with a broad range of people, causes and communities, there’s no secret code for us to decide on how or who we support, work with, or bring into our orbit – it’s organic, spontaneous, and ignites our passion in some way or another.  This includes our own employees, not for profits and organisations we support, artists that we work with, wholesale customers, or other legends in our industry.  Basically, we work with passionate individuals and groups doing legendary work across the environment, communities and social justice. 

1. Employees (The legends  we get to work with everyday)

We’ve hit the jackpot with our employees.  We’re Single O, not Single Culture, and that means we hum best when we’re a team of many, and have ‘come as you are’ etched into our values.   
We value passionate yet humble souls, who are hospo at heart regardless of whether they’re brewing up our latest batch at Surry Hills, roasting our coffee to perfection at our roastery, packing our orders for wholesale or online customers, or balancing end of month.  And the passion doesn’t stop there. From volunteering days that involve tree planting or moving reclaimed furniture, through to rallying customers and community to get behind Cafesmart, we’re proud to have a team with hearts of gold and hands to help where they can. 

2.  Partners 

We believe in nurturing and uplifting the causes of others doing great work to help communities, support social justice, and drive environmental sustainability.  That’s why we actively support initiatives through financial support, volunteering, product donations, shout outs, or rallying the industry.  We’ve donated over $400,000 through financial and product donations and volunteered over 700 hours.   

Among the organisations we’ve supported who do great things are Relove, Café Smart, Pollinate, Autism Spectrum (Aspect), Seabin, Take 3 For the Sea, Oz Harvest, Sea Shepherd, Surfers for Climate, Greenfleet, World Coffee Research, We Forest and Wheen Bee Foundation.   

COMMUNITY PARTNERS 

CREATING HOMES AND RESCUING FURNITURE WITH RE-LOVE

Re-Love rescues unwanted furniture and white-goods from within the community, and from generous corporate partners, delivering everything directly to people who need a helping hand. Currently supporting 15 families per week and providing everything they need to make a house a home.  

This rehoming of goods doesn’t just mean that $9m worth of furniture has been re-loved, but it’s also saved a tonne (over 2,000 tonnes, to be exact) of furniture from being dumped into landfill. Good for people, good for the planet, and we’re proud to been able to volunteer over 700 hours to the cause.  

ADDRESSING HOMELESSNESS WITH CAFÉ SMART

Café Smart is a coffee industry led event that runs annually, uniting hundreds of coffee roasters, cafes and coffee lovers around Australia to fundraise for their local homeless shelters.  Every year since 2016 we’ve rallied our wholesale customers to join the cause, and in 2022 raised over $14,000.   

*Ahem* we may have also achieved top roaster status in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022!! Coming on a very close 2nd place in both 2016 and 2021. 

EMPOWERING WOMEN COMMUNITY LEADERS WITH POLLINATE GROUP 

ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS

CLEANING OUR SEA WITH SEABIN

If there are bins on land, why not the sea? That’s the thinking that launched this Sydney grassroots organisation, Seabin, which now have over 860 Seabins across the world capturing 3, 222, 056 (for context - that’s over 50k La Marzocco PB 3-group machines).  

Not only are these legends removing waste from the ocean with their bins in the sea, but are also gathering vital data to inform better consumer and  business practices.  

Our crew have helped empty Seabins and sort through micro plastics to gather data. Doing our (small) part to help them on their mission; to live in a world without Seabins.  

CONSERVATION AT OUR DOORSTEP WITH GREENFLEET

Greenfleet restores legally protected native forests that remove carbon and restore habitat for native wildlife.  Since 1997, they’ve planted more than 10.3 million native trees and created 550 protected forests.   
In 2022 alone, our donations to Greenfleet through carbon offsets was equivalent to removing 412 cars from Australia’s roads for a whole year!  Our offsets have helped ecosystem regeneration on Yuggera Country, QLD, as well as creating tree diversity and improved koala habitats on Kabi Kabi Country QLD and Bundjalung Country, NSW. 

CONVERSATION IN COFFEE’S BIRTHPLACE WITH WEFOREST 

While zooming in on eco-projects in coffee’s birthplace nation, Ethiopia, we came across the formidable WeForest. Among other projects on the boil, this group is going hard at conserving the Desa’a, one of Ethiopia’s oldest remaining dry Afromontane forests. 
 
It’s an ongoing project to reverse land degradation and support forest friendly livelihoods across 14 rural villages. 
 
Playing our small part, Single O’s funding is regenerating 5.9 hectares, equivalent to 5740 trees, planted in July and August 2021. This will also sequester a potential 932t Co2 over 50 years and contribute to reversing land degradation and poverty in the Desa’a Forest. It’s another way to give back to a nation that’s given us so many incredible coffees. (DS note – waiting on WeForest to provide an update)

WORLD COFFEE RESEARCH