Five Ways to Make Your Coffee More Eco-Friendly
Single serve and single use items have become a norm in today’s society. It is something many people use daily and take advantage of its convenience without thinking of the costs it has on the world and the environment.
These disposable products (paper cups and plates, plastic fork and knives, foam take out containers, and many more) contribute to an immense amount of waste and trash.
Not only does it take lots of oil and paper to manufacture these single use items, but many are also non-biodegradable. This means they can only be broken down into smaller pieces, many of which ends up in our oceans.
Your morning coffee run should not be worth the toll it takes on the air, water, and resources. There are many ways to still have the convenience of your daily coffee all the while helping our environment.
Here are five ways you can make your daily caffeine kick more eco-friendly!
1. Use a Travel Mug or Thermos for Coffee To Go
Picture this: You have ten minutes before you need to leave the house to get to work on time. With barely enough time to get dressed, you only have a spare minute or two to grab a protein bar and a cup of coffee for breakfast in the car.
Now if this is the daily routine for most people, they would probably think of getting a pack of disposable cardboard coffee cups with a plastic top.
Rather than doing that however, there are plenty of options for travel mugs or thermoses that you can use over and over. Not only is this a better financial choice, since buying single serve cups multiple times will cost more than a one time buy of a travel mug, but it’s also a better choice for the environment.
The Hydroflask is one example of a mug you can use for your morning coffee to work or even coffee for traveling. It can also keep your drink warmer or colder longer than a paper cup. This particular travel mug comes in different colors, sizes, and customizable tops to suit everyone’s preference!
2. Bring Reusable Cups to Coffee Shops
While some people may have the time or prefer brewed ground coffee or brewed instant coffee, many daily routines include at least one stop at a coffee shop. The majority of coffee chains rely on the use of disposable products. This means just one coffee stop can include a cardboard cup, plastic lid, cardboard coffee sleeve, and a plastic beverage plug. It may not sound like much with reference to one person, but considering the millions of Americans who drink coffee on a daily basis, this can quickly add up and can significantly contribute to our overflowing landfills.
A solution to this would be to bring a reusable cup with you on your way out of the house for the day and use it at the coffee shop. One like the Keepcup can reduce your consumption of plastic and cardboard to zero. This particular reusable cup is designed with coffee drinkers in mind and contain multiple sizes, materials, and colors for your choosing. Their design also includes a band that can replace your need for disposable coffee sleeves.
3. Choose your Coffee and Coffee Brands Wisely
While the use of reusable cups and travel mugs are essential, it is also important for you to choose your coffee wisely. As you are making lifestyle changes to better the environment, it is useful if the coffee brand or instant coffee brands you are buying and supporting contribute to those views.
For instance, Waka Coffee is not only a premium instant coffee brand, but also does its part for the environment. This Colombian instant coffee has eco-friendly packaging. Our box is made of recyclable kraft paper and the coffee packets are made of foil-lined kraft paper packaging that is better than the plastic used by traditional instant coffee brands. In addition, this lightweight material, compared to tin cans or glass jars, requires less energy to transport and cuts down on carbon emissions. Additionally, Waka Coffee created the “Add Water, Give Water” program and donates 4% of our proceeds to charity: water, which supports clean water projects around the world.
4. Recycle Coffee Grounds
Paper and plastic are not the only type of wastes produced when making coffee. The leftover coffee grounds are most often thrown away in the trash as waste and ends up in our environment. A solution to this could be to use it in a compost or in a garden. It has many benefits when mixed with soil and used as a fertilizer. For instance, it adds nutrients and keeps unwanted pests, like snails and slugs, away.
Now you might be thinking, “what if I don’t have a garden to dispose of my coffee grounds?”. Instant coffee might be the answer to your problems! Waka coffee is a good instant coffee option for your needs. As the coffee easily and immediately dissolves in water, no waste is created. This is also a great option for those who enjoy the outdoors. By leaving no waste behind, Waka coffee is easily taken around and an easy coffee for backpacking or coffee for camping.
5. Choose Energy Saving Brewing Methods
Many coffee machines are made to stay powered on for long periods of time in order to not only brew coffee, but keep the coffee warm for hours. This can consume a lot of gas and electricity on a daily basis.
Instead, a greener option would be to look for energy free options such as a French Press like the Chemex or Aeropress. While this is a better option than a traditional coffee machine, energy is still needed to heat up water for brewing coffee.
The most eco-friendly option, however, would be Waka Coffee. A cup of coffee can be made with just water and a scoop or two of instant coffee. Unlike the Chemex or Aeropress, a delicious cup of coffee can be made with Waka Coffee since it easily dissolves in both cold and warm water.
With large amounts of continuing pollution and resource depletions taking a toll on our environment, it is important to be conscious of our contribution to this destruction. Changing our consumption habits through something as simple as our daily caffeine intake can make a big difference!
