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Earth Day turns forty this year, so you’d think that things would be looking greener by now. However, it’s no secret that the earth is taking some pretty serious hits right now. As far as our precious coffee, across the world forests are being cut down to plant coffee trees and closer to home roadsides and even lakes are littered with coffee cups.
There’s no easy answer, but there are ways that we can help reduce the environmental impact of our morning coffee.
Start the next time you go shopping. Take a look at the labels. Organic and Shade Grown are just two of the many earth friendly labels that are out there. Organic coffees are grown and processed without harsh chemicals and shade grown coffee preserves habitats for migratory birds on coffee farms. And don’t forget to buy local so that your coffee has less of a carbon foot print.
Billions of paper and styrofoam cups are used once then thrown out every year. They’re filling up landfills, polluting our land and lakes. The simple answer is start using a travel mug or something more fashionable like the Mug Hug. The Mug Hug is is a reusable, flexible lid for coffee mugs that presses on for a seal. It’s designed for people who like their home brew or office coffee in their own personal mug.
Unplug your coffee maker and cut your electric bill with a French Press or Aeropress. The only power needed is to heat the water. The French Press doesn’t even require a single use paper filter that you would have to throw out. The Aeropress only needs a filter that’s less the size of a half dollar coin. Either way, you’re getting great tasting coffee.
If you are set on using your coffee maker, use coffee filters made of recycled paper or better yet, get a permanent reusable filter. Have a Keurig singer serve brewer? Have you checked out their reusable k-cup, it allows you to use your own coffee and not have to throw out a plastic k-cup every time.
After your all done, don’t throw the coffee grounds in the trash, put them in your compost pile in the backyard. Don’t have a compost pile? What are you waiting for? Start one today or give them to one of your neighbors that does.
That’s just a few easy ways to go green with your coffee, what suggestions do you have?
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Photo by brhefele.
First of all, thanks for using my photo, glad you like it, or, as the case may be, hate it… You know…
By my understanding, most of your typical home coffee makers are just heating the water as well… They basically heat it enough so that pressure shoots it out the top and onto the grounds…? So that understandably is more time heating than just pouring water onto some grounds. But I think the big thing is that a lot of these coffee makers keep it hot… There’s a heating element under the carafe to keep it nice and toasty for a while, and that’s important to people…
I love French press coffee, but that’s a failing of most presses – especially the standard single-walled borosilicate Bodums which don’t hold heat well, and I think people get discouraged by that. A while back I got a double-walled steel press from Frieling, and that was a heck of an investment – really keeps the coffee warm for a while. I know Bodum makes a steel press as well, but I haven’t tried that one. Bit pricier to go for the better insulated presses, but well worth it.
Also, instead of heating water for coffee, try using a French press to cold-brew overnight some time. Just load the thing up with grounds and water and throw it in the fridge before you go to bed. Smooth as can be, and refreshing on a hot summer morning…
Thank you for allowing creative commons on the picture, I’ve come across it a number of times when searching flickr and couldn’t wait to use it on a post.
You have some great points. I had a thermal carafe that kept the coffee hot, so it cuts down on the electricity used.
I’m going to have to try the cold brew in the french press.
Definitely supporting local coffee shops to cut down on the carbon footprint. Buy fairly traded and organic coffee.
I remember that one post you did last year about that company in England who uses jars or something reusable to go fill up your beans again when you buy their beans. I’m going to bring that up to my local coffee shop, Square One Coffee, because they are very much into being sustainable and green, and I think that might be something they woud want to consider looking into.
Another thing to go with the coffee – use more green-mindedness with what you put IN your coffee, specifically organic sugar if you use it, and organic dairy products if you use it. Unless it’s labeled “organic” sugar, your sugar is actually made from genetically modified organisms, “GMO” sugar beets (surprise! not from sugar cane). GMOs are dangerous to our food supply, kill biodiversity, and their long term effects on soil, our bodies and health, and other living creatures have never been tested. GMOs use foreign proteins and DNA grafted to specific desirable plant DNA to get a desired outcome. GMOs also require LOADS AND LOADS of pesticides and herbicides, which is definitely not “green.” Organic dairy products – no growth hormones, no antibiotics that aid in the antibiotic resistance that is now plaguing us, and no chemicals used in feed given to cows.
If I recall, didn’t Starbucks take organic milk off their menu? I haven’t been to SBUX in a while, but if they did…that really pisses me off. They used to offer it as an option that you had to pay a few more cents for, like 40 or 20, no biggie, and I remember asking for it preivously…hmm…will have to look into this.
These are also important “green” choices for your coffee
As always thanks for the great comment.
I think you’re right on, it would be great if more coffee companies looked to be more green in general.
Chemex, and drippers are also options of brewing that don’t require the electricity of most home brewers—just what’s needed to heat your water.
Nice Earth Day post Mike!
.-= BWJ´s last blog ..Meth Coffee =-.
Thanks for stopping by. Not only do they not require electricity, but they also create great coffee.
we toss our coffee in the garden and in the compost pile.
(removed from the poly k-cups prior)
worms seem to love coffee grounds!
http://gardening.wsu.edu/stewardship/compost/coffee.htm
That’s awesome news, more people…including myself have to start doing that.
Mike – I love coffee and have started my own blog on finance/career. So your sight is a natural for me. Also read some of your blogging tips -thanks! We’ve used a French press a fee times but seem to have inconsistent results – any ideas? Dan
My advice would be to make sure your using the same temperature, time and amount of coffee each time…once you find a method that is working for you. If your already doing that, what sort of problems are you having.