Sipping your morning coffee? Here are a few ideas how simple changes could make it more eco-friendly with less impact on the environment.
Eco-friendly coffee at home
If you are having your cuppa at home, start by checking if your coffee machine creates waste. I used to go for convenience. Press a start button and my coffee was ready. But I started wondering what happens with capsule and pods I used to make my drink with.
There are so many machines and methods that are eco-friendly. We currently buy certified coffee beans that we grind at home and brew coffee via a drip coffee machine using a paper filter. While our machine is plastic it was given to us, and paper filter and coffee powder can be easily composted. Other ideas include:
- Pour over coffee systems – they require no electricity and coffee connoisseurs praise it for great tasting coffee. They can use paper, metal and cloth reusable filters cutting waste down.
- Bean to cup machines – it is an automated machine without any coffee filters nor pods. It has a built-in grinder that prepares beans for each cup.
- French press – a chic glass container where you place your grinded coffee on the bottom and simply pour hot water over it and press the top part after a few minutes.
- Single coffee makers – those are perfect with reusable coffee filters and the only watch out is to boil only as much water as needed to save the energy.
One more tip, if I inspired you to more eco-friendly coffee, don’t chuck away your current machine. Consider selling to extend its life before it goes to a landfill. Or give it away via local freecycle groups.
Eco-friendly coffee innovations
While preparing this blog I discovered a number of eco-friendly coffee startups.
- The latest innovations focus around circular coffee supply chains.
- There are also startups working on ‘beanless coffee’ made from imitation crops.
- Others use coffee left overs to produce building boards used to construct houses.
- And large multinational brands invest in compostable coffee pods.
Coffee is causing deforestation at a pretty alarming rate – almost up to ten (New York) Central Parks a day. We’re talking about a machine, a coffee machine that’s never stopping, always looking for more land, and that’s what we’re trying to prevent.
Andy Kleitsch, Atomo, a Seattle-based startup – launching the world’s first beanless coffee
Eco-friendly coffee on the go
Lastly, if you need a caffeine kick when out and about, why not using a reusable coffee cup? Mine is extendable and easily washed. I used it on trains, planes, even on top of the mountain slope. When closed, it is small and portable. I no longer need to worry about my coffee’s impact when served in a one use coffee cup.
If you enjoyed this content, why don’t you read an article about Eco-friendly swaps.