Sipping Sustainably at Clark’s Retail Bakery

Retail Bakery offers discounted coffee on Earth Day, 4/22, for customers who bring their own cup

Pictured above: a student employee holds up a reusable cup she's using to drink tea from the Retail Baker

Coffee tastes even better when it comes with a purpose. In celebration of Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, the Retail Bakery at McClaskey Culinary Institute (MCI) is offering $1 drip coffee for those who bring a reusable cup. Those who bring an extra mug to donate to the Cup Library (pictured below) will get a free cup of coffee in their reusable cup.

Sustainability is the New Norm

While this deal on coffee is one day only, the bakery has been taking eco-friendly steps all year. 

Last fall, the bakery launched a new sustainability initiative aimed at reducing single-use waste. Inspired by Nossa Familia Coffee in Portland, which implemented an upcharge for to-go cups in 2021, Clark's Retail Bakery reduced coffee prices by 50 cents for those who brought their own cup. If customers forget their own, they can borrow a mug from the shop’s Cup Library. 

“This is an incentive, not a penalty,” said Chef Melanie Hendry. “We want brewing, sipping, and studying to feel good in more ways than one.” 

Now into the third term of the initiative, the bakery is seeing a real impact. 

Approximately one-third of the Clark community has opted for reusable cups so far this academic year, equaling about 2,000 cups and lids saved from the landfill. 

These steps towards sustainability are being seen in other forms of packaging as well. Pastries are sold in paper bags rather than plastic containers, and bringing a reusable container is encouraged to avoid an extra charge and help reduce plastic waste. 

About Clark's Culinary Institute

The Tod and Maxine McClaskey Culinary Institute at Clark College is the only public, accredited culinary program in the metro region offering a two-year associate in applied technology degree. Students benefit from a rigorous curriculum, a seasoned team of instructors with real-world experience, state-of-the-art culinary facilities, and strong industry partnerships. Learn more about Cuisine Management at Clark College here.

Photos: Clark College/Malena Goerl

Story by Malena Goerl, Staff Writer, Communications and Marketing