ePac Flexible Packaging is to donate two percent of its global coffee product sales in 2023 to Project Waterfall, which will be used to help coffee growing communities across the world with clean water, sanitation and education.
Project Waterfall is a charity in the coffee sector that brings clean water, sanitation and education to coffee-growing communities across the world. In its mission statement, Project Waterfall notes that 771 million people around the world don’t have access to clean water, with the majority living in isolated, rural areas – the same areas growing coffee.
The charity goes on, ‘While we enjoy the purest filtered water in our coffee, the communities at the end of its supply chain face a water crisis. Access to clean water changes everything. Child mortality rates drop. Girls can spend more time in school. Women can start their own businesses. And dignity is restored to communities.’
Project Waterfall director Rebecca Hodgson said, ‘Our work to bring clean drinking water, sanitation and education to coffee growing communities is only possible due to the incredible companies in the industry like ePac, which commit to giving back and making an impact. We are excited to see this partnership grow and change many lives as a result.’
Paul Rason, head of the coffee segment at ePac Flexible Packaging, noted, ‘Our mission has been, from the very beginning, to support and add value within our respective communities. The partnership with Project Waterfall is our first community programme dedicated to the coffee industry, and it provides us with an opportunity to help bring an end to the water crisis in coffee growing regions around the world. Working with the Project Waterfall team, we’ll start with the Berbere Project in Ethiopia, a country that many consider to be the birthplace of coffee. We see this as a long-term partnership and we’re looking forward to getting started.’
ePac recently detailed the addition of flat bottom pouches to its product portfolio, with speciality coffee seen as a target industry for such flexible packaging. This also sees ePac extend its partnership with pouch equipment manufacturer Totani.
Virag Patel, head of operations at ePac said, ‘We were asked by our customers to provide the flat bottom line to our existing product portfolio, and we listened to their needs. We are totally committed to the industry and we will continue to innovate and drive value for our speciality coffee customers.’
