Our Impact
Our Impact
Sustainability
Reunion Coffee Roasters is a vocal advocate of coffee's ability to improve the well-being of the planet and those who work within the supply chain. Sustainability has become a central tenet of our business model, both in our work abroad and at home.
We place the same care in our sustainability initiatives as we do in the quality of our coffee.
Through this work, we have redefined our business model, improved the quality of our coffee, helped countless producers and farm workers, and given our employees and customers new reasons to feel proud of the roaster they have chosen to work with.
Timeline
Looking back on 30 years of sustainable coffee in Canada, we celebrate remarkable progress that reflects our deep commitment to sustainability. But our story began well before the launch of Reunion, with our Chairman’s first company founded in 1978, laying the groundwork for what would become a legacy of responsible coffee. This journey highlights our dedication to meeting rigorous standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, a commitment to sustainable coffee, from seed to cup.
-
1978Peter Pesce founds Bourbon Coffee
-
1986Bourbon becomes the largest distributor of specialty coffee in Canada
-
1988Bourbon Coffee is sold to Kraft
-
1995Reunion is founded
-
1995Sources decaffeinated coffee using the Swiss Water Process, reinforcing our commitment to offering chemical-free options for consumers
-
2001Purchases its first Fairtrade and Organic coffee
-
2002Partners with Bullfrog Power for renewable energy solutions at our facility
-
2003Becomes Rainforest Alliance certified
-
2006Launches Las Hermosas, coffee that supports community projects and programs in Colombia
-
2007Joins the Board of the Specialty Coffee Association, Member of the Sustainability Board
-
2008Partners with Grounds for Health to support women in coffee producing regions
-
2011Launches Sierra Verde: over 1 million trees have been planted through our tree planting partners. We are committed to planting at least 10,000 trees each year in support of restorative economy
-
2012Launches Compostable Pods Packaging
-
2012Joins the Board of Grounds for Health
-
2013Becomes B Corp Certified. A proud moment that reinforced our mission to build a more sustainable and equitable coffee industry
-
2015Opens the door to its flagship Coffee Bar in Roncesvalles community
-
2015Is named Specialty Coffee Association’s Macro Roaster of the year
-
2016Modernizes lighting to LED in the plant through Save On Energy Program
-
2016Applies reflective paint to the building, supporting energy efficiency
-
2017Is named Canada’s Greenest Employers
-
2017Co-founds the Canadian chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association. Chaired the Membership Committee
-
2023Is named Business of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce
-
2023Joins the Board of the Coffee Association of Canada. Chairs the Sustainability Committee
-
2025In partnership with Tempo Flexible Packaging, Reunion's research and development of recycle-ready packaging is nominated by the Packaging Association of Canada for its Sustainable Package Design and Package Innovation Design awards. This packaging wins an Award of Distinction under Sustainable Packaging Design category
-
2025Joins the Board of Fairtrade Canada
Over the years, we have worked with dozens of farms and co-ops on development projects; supported certifiers promoting social, environmental, and financial development; and donated time and money to NGO's around the globe.
We are particularly proud of our efforts with the Rainforest Alliance and have worked dilligently to increase our volume of certified coffee through them, up to 65% of total coffee purchased.
We have also worked directly with our farming partners to encourage and facilitate RA certification of their farms, giving them the confidence they need to invest in the process.
We are proud to be Canada's largest Bullfrogpowered coffee roaster with 100% green electricity. Bullfrog Power has been a terrific partner for us in our efforts to become the most sustainable coffee roaster in North America.
Native Energy Partnership
We first started working with Native Energy - a fellow B Corporation - on the Help Build Honduras Coffee Growers Clean Water project in 2017.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of our Privateer coffee were converted to carbon offsets that support this project, which uses centuries-old slow sand technology to remove up to 99% of waterborne pathogens. To date, this partnership has provided over 4,490,000 litres of clean drinking water.
**Exciting things coming with this partnership - STAY TUNED**
This coffee provides clean water to coffee growers in Honduras.
