True North: 38%

Kicking Horse Coffee reflects a high level of operational retention through its domestic roasting facilities, despite being fully owned by a foreign parent entity. The resulting True North score is balanced between its significant Canadian physical footprint and its international capital structure. Strategic control resides primarily with the Italian parent company.

Green Score: 48/100

While the coffee itself is a high-quality whole food with excellent USDA Organic and Fairtrade certifications, the product is penalized for its single-serve format. The packaging is highly complex and multi-material, combining rigid plastic, aluminum, and paper, which significantly complicates the recycling process. With an estimated 75g of packaging for a small quantity of coffee, the waste-to-product ratio is relatively high compared to bulk grounds.