Our Carbon Story
An honest look at what goes into every loaf we bake — and what we're doing to make it better.
Every loaf tells a story. The flour that goes into it, the energy that bakes it, the hands that shape it, and the miles it travels to reach you. Here's the full picture — the good, the challenging, and what we're doing next.
Where Our Impact Comes From
Four things account for nearly everything. Here's the breakdown.
Running ovens, mixers, fridges
Our biggest impact. Every batch needs heat, and heat needs power. We're working on consolidating bake times and upgrading to more efficient ovens.
Flour, butter, eggs, dairy
What goes into our products matters. Butter and dairy pack a punch. We're exploring local sourcing and plant-based alternatives.
Deliveries and logistics
Consolidated routes help. We deliver to multiple locations in one trip, which puts us below the industry average.
Food and packaging
Small but not insignificant. We donate unsold bread daily and we're testing compostable packaging alternatives.
How We Stack Up
We compared ourselves to similar bakery chains. Here's where we stand — honestly.
Electricity per loaf
+8%
Above average. We know this needs work. New equipment is coming.
Ingredient impact
On par
Right in line with similar chains. But we think we can do better.
Transport footprint
Below avg
Efficient routes pay off. We're proud of this one.
What We're Doing Next
Understanding the problem is step one. Here's what we're tackling, in order of impact.
Cut peak-hour energy use
We're shifting baking schedules to off-peak hours. Less strain on the grid, lower costs, and a better footprint. Simple change, big impact.
Rethink dairy and butter sourcing
These pack a punch. We're talking to local dairies and testing plant-based options that don't compromise on taste. Still early, but promising.
Track waste like we mean it
You can't fix what you don't measure. Daily tracking across all locations will help us spot patterns and cut overproduction.
Smarter oven schedules
Grouping baking tasks means less idle time, less wasted heat. We're piloting this at two locations right now.
Classic Sourdough Loaf
Let's break down one loaf. From flour to your table, here's what it takes.
Carbon footprint
0.62
kg COâ‚‚e per loaf
That's like...
Driving a car 3.5 km
Or charging your phone 78 times
Where it comes from:
The Fine Print
Here's what went into these numbers — and what didn't.
These are estimates
We've worked with the data we have — aggregated energy bills, estimated ingredient volumes, delivery schedules. It's not perfect, but it's honest. As we collect more data, these numbers will get sharper.
What we used
Energy bills, supplier invoices, delivery logs, typical recipes
What we assumed
Industry-standard emission factors, average ingredient impacts
What would help
Detailed supplier data, hourly energy tracking, waste logs
How We Think About This
Progress over perfection. Transparency over precision.
Honest, not perfect
No greenwashing, no exaggerated claims. We show what we know and admit what we don't. That's how trust works.
Human, not technical
Real-world language for real people. No jargon, no complexity theater. Just clear information you can actually use.
Practical, not perfect
We focus on what actually matters. High-impact changes you can implement, not theoretical optimizations you'll never get to.
Evolving, always
This is a snapshot, not a verdict. As we gather more data and learn more, these numbers will sharpen. That's the point.
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