One Day for Change: From Coffee Grounds to Common Ground

At dentsu, we observe an extraordinary annual tradition that knows no boundaries - One Day for Change.

Across 120+ countries and markets, from Tokyo’s neon glow to New York’s bustling streets, from Beijing’s ancient alleys to London’s cosmopolitan heart, from Nairobi’s vibrant markets to Auckland’s green shores, every dentsu employee becomes an architect of positive change through thousands of local actions woven together across time zones.

One cup, one plant, one step at a time.

This year, dentsu China’s offices in Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Beijing, and Shanghai partnered with two remarkable organisations: Give & Take Café, where disability transforms into different ability through coffee artistry, and Earth Puzzle, a high school student-led environmental initiative redefining sustainability.

Together, we launched the Coffee Grounds Revival Workshop - a space where perception and possibility converged.

Visually impaired baristas demonstrated how limitations are simply matters of perspective - each crafted latte serving as both beverage and bridge to deeper understanding.

Participants then created their own small wonders, transforming discarded coffee grounds into thriving succulent planters that embodied both environmental care and social inclusion.

Latte poetry in the dark.

The workshop featured an unforgettable experience as dentsu colleagues received lattes poured by Yin Tianbao, a master barista from China’s first visually impaired-designed café, 'Dark Roast.' Her words resonated deeply:

“The Braille markings on our equipment have guided us through thousands of attempts and countless burns. Though our eyes don’t perceive light, we’ve learned to create it through every cup we serve.”

As participants donned blindfolds, their fingertips discovered new dimensions of awareness. Following Braille instructions like musical scores, they planted succulents in coffee ground-enriched soil - each tactile moment expanding their understanding of ability.

These living creations now grace desks throughout dentsu offices, silent testaments to growth that begins where conventional sight stops.

The second life of coffee grounds.

The science behind the symbolism proved equally compelling. Once discarded, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus-rich coffee grounds underwent remarkable transformation through Earth Puzzle’s innovative methods, becoming potent fertiliser that gave new life to succulent plants - a perfect metaphor for sustainable renewal.

Together, we brought dentsu’s 2030 Sustainability Strategy to life, demonstrating that when purpose and creativity unite, no challenge remains insurmountable. Change indeed begins with small, meaningful actions close to home - where a single thoughtfully planted seed of kindness can blossom into something extraordinary.

To every dentsu colleague who participated - thank you. On that sunlit afternoon, we gathered not merely to share time, but to sow the seeds of a more connected and compassionate future, one deliberate action at a time.