The Steam & Cedar Cafe, owned by Daniel and Beth MacDonald, has taken massive steps to minimise their carbon footprint.

Daniel, who grew up in the Macleay before heading to Newcastle University to complete a Civil Engineering degree, started his career working for renewable energy industries in Sweden and Austria.

After returning to Australia and working as a consultant, Daniel and wife Beth decided to return to Daniel's hometown and soon after they purchased the Steam & Cedar Cafe.

Immediately after opening, the couple began working on ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

"The world is such a beautiful place and we live in such a beautiful valley. We all have to do our bit to ensure its longevity," Daniel said.

"Our careers have been in renewable industries and we do our best in our personal life to not have a carbon impact so we thought we better do it professionally as well."

The couple have made a historical commitment to offset the carbon of ten coffees for each coffee they sell.

The initiative is in partnership with Greenfleet, a not-for-profit organisation, that plants in native forests which are preserved for a 100 years.

The cafe also uses local produce to reinvest in the region and it ensures their ingredients don't have to travel far. 

Their dressings, sauces, nut milks are all homemade to reduce the amount of packaging consumed.

The business is licensed for take-away only but they use compostable cups, plates, serviettes and straws to prevent a burden on landfill, bushland and waterways.

The waste is also managed on site as soft plastics are collected and deposited at RedCycle and kitchen scraps and compostable packaging is collected and composted, which is then used to grow produce.

"The best thing is, when you are a customer at our cafe, you're not only supporting our business but lots of other local ones and the environment too," Beth said.

The couple claim the community has jumped on board to support their green initiative and they believe working at the cafe has been the "most rewarding experience".

"It's nurturing to run a business where you're greeted by a friendly smile everyday," Daniel said.

"It's so lovely to be a part of community and live and work locally."

The couple encourages other businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

"People can come and ask us questions on how we have managed to do it, we are happy to collaborate and work with others to achieve the same goal," Beth said.

The cafe has its first birthday in April and to celebrate the couple have decided to carbon offset the 10,000 coffees the business has already served.

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