Drink Your Coffee Sustainably
This article was written by Samantha Alice and originally posted on her ecommerce blog ecomono.com.au which has now been closed.
Image: threebeans.com.au
A day without coffee is like...hmm...we actually don't know. We drink coffee every. single. day. Sometimes twice a day. It's our daily fix and let's be honest we're hooked. All we have to do is scroll through Instagram in the morning to see all of your #coffeeinspo shots.
Based on research done in 2012, Australians spend $1.1 BILLION each year on coffee [and tea] with the average Australian consuming 3kg - that is a lot of coffee and we have NO DOUBT it has grown over the past 5 years.
So, we couldn't help but think "Does this have a negative effect on planet, we are consuming so much of this stuff...maybe it does?"
With this in mind, we did some research and made some notes below on how ALL OF US can drink coffee sustainably - we're good like that! No probs - you're welcome.
1. Buy a reusable cup
That quick coffee pit stop on the way to work each morning, grabbing your one time use, disposable cup that will outlast your lifetime is having a huge negative impact on the environment. Australians use 1 BILLION disposable coffee cups each year, with the cups being the 2nd largest contributor to litter behind plastic bottles. That is ridiculous.
So, what is the most obvious solution - use a reusable coffee cup!! There are so many options out there including, Keep Cup, Frank Green, JOCO.
2. Drink Organic or Fair Trade Coffee
If your making your coffee at home, buying Fair Trade Climate Neutral Coffee helps fight climate change and ensures benefits for farming communities in developing countries. Just like how we talk about Fair Trade Organic Cotton, Coffee grown in this sustainable way is much better for the environment and farmers are protected with fair wages.
If you'd like to change the brand of coffee you buy to Fair Trade you can find a comprehensive list here.
Organic, non-treated plants are better for your health because let's be real - who wants to drink a mug of pesticides? Organic beans are harvested in ways that protect eco systems.
3. Go Local
The Australian industry is small so we need to support small businesses in your community and keep your dollars local. Despite Australians being obsessed with coffee, as we learnt earlier in this article, Farmers says Australians are not drinking the local product. Here are a list of Australian Coffee Producers:
Piazza d’oro (Douwe Egberts)
4. Brew Coffee Sustainably
Brewing your coffee at home, uses electricity and energy. If you don't use electricity you will save money, energy and become more eco-friendly.
Think French Press, easy? Maybe not the first time but you will perfect it. Check out this article on how to perfect your French Press technique here on Life Hacker.
5. Biodegradable Coffee Pods
If you already own a coffee machine, you spent a lot of money on it, so you don't really want to have to buy another or a change how you do things now. You can make one really small change. Buy biodegradable coffee pods.
Takeaway cardboard coffee cups are lined with plastic, and second only to plastic bottles in contributing to Australian litter.