8 tips for drinking and preparing coffee organically and sustainably
People just love coffee. They enjoy it for pleasure, for stimulation, for work. It's a tradition when meeting friends. The popularity of coffee is almost worldwide. Coffee drinkers indulge in a cup of their beloved beverage several times throughout the day. In the UK alone, 95 million cups of coffee are drunk every day. The total global waste generated by coffee grounds is estimated at around 500,000 tonnes per year.
In most cases, the discarded lye goes to the general waste stream. Such waste is classically disposed of in landfills. Thesubsequent greenhouse gases from this process have a negative impact on global climate change. These gases are even 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide and are one of the main causes of global warming. Yet even in used coffee grounds, there are still plenty of nutrients that can be used in further processing.
1. REUSABLE COFFEE GROUNDS
So our first tip for drinking coffee in a more planet-friendly way concerns the lógr. Tryusingthis remnant from coffee in your garden. Either you can use the lógr to support the growth of individual plants. You can use lógr to support the growth of strawberry plants, blueberries, tomatoes, azaleas or heather. Add lógrto your compost. In the home it can be used as aninsect repellent or as an ingredient in home cosmetics.
2. RECYCLED CUPS
Takeaway coffee is a symbol of our times. Many cafes are trying to take a greener approach and offer backed returnable cups or disposable but recyclable coffee cups. After drinking your coffee, follow the markings on the cup and dispose of it in the correct waste. An even better option is biodegradable cups, which contain a plant-based polymer instead of a plastic coating. Such cups break down completely over time.
3. TAKE YOUR OWN COFFEE CUP WITH YOU
Thebest way to minimize waste in the form of used disposable cups is to carry your own reusable cupor thermos for coffee. Nowadays, you can choose from countless options of travel mugs to find the one that suits you best .
4. CHOOSING MINDFUL COFFEE
Already when buying a packet of roasted coffee, you can look at whether it has been grown with respect for the environment. The growers of the coffee of choice are careful about the quality of the raw material, its processing, but they also try to make the coffeemeet certain requirements for the ecology of cultivation. On the coffee packaging, you will notice a label confirming its certification. Coffee farms selling certified coffees can follow sustainable farming criteria in their cultivation to achieveRainforest Alliance (RFA ) certification .
A farmer producing organic coffee beans must be mindful of biodiversity, ecological balance and avoid the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticidesin the long term , then they can label their products as Organic Coffee. Another certification, Bird Friendly, can be found on coffees that have been grown on farms in harmony with native forest vegetation. The aim of such cultivation is to protect tropical forests for birds.
5. THINK MILK
Do you like your coffee with milk? No wonder, because coffee gets along perfectly with milk. By combining them, we can enjoy delicious milky coffee drinks such as the popular cappuccino, café latte or flat white. We can easily buy milk in the supermarket, it is a readily available raw material. However, behind the production of milk there is a huge environmental burden.
Industrial milk processing relies on large herds of cows to ensure high milk production. As end consumers, we are often unaware that these huge herds of cows are one of the most significant environmental problems. They produce a lot of methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas. A survey of Australian cafes showed that over 25% of the carbon footprint in these businesses comes from the use of milk.
We're not encouraging you to cut coffee and milk out of your life. Besides its great taste, milk contains many nutrients and vitamins that are good for our health. However, we should approach milk with a view to its negative ecological impact. Therefore, it is advisable, for example , to reduce the volume of milk in drinks. Replenish your energy with black coffee in the morning and only enjoy your afternoon coffee in the form of a sweet cappuccino.
Disposable takeaway cups, often have a larger volume than the cup in which you would get the ordered coffee at the café table. Again, you can help the planet by carrying your own reusable coffee cup.
6. PUT OAT MILK IN YOUR COFFEE
If you really want to reduce your need for milk consistently, you can go straight to alternative milks. These plant milks are generally more environmentally friendly than cow's milk. They are commonly used and offered in today's cafes. Vegans or people on a gluten-free diet are especially popular to order coffee with plant milk.
These "milks" are mainly made from nuts, soy or oats. It is oatmilk that comes out best, due to the environmentally friendly production. In addition ,oat milks have the addedadvantage of a taste and texture that is most similar to cow's milk compared to other alternative milks.
7. HOW NOT TO WASTE ENERGY WHEN MAKING COFFEE
Analysis by the Coffee Science & Education Center shows that more than 50% of the carbon footprint of coffee shops is due to energy consumption. Of course, as a coffee shop guest yourself, you cannot control whether the barista wastes electricity while working. At home, however, you have everything in your own hands.
So when making coffee at home, take into account how much energy you actually need for your cup of coffee. If you're only making coffee for yourself, you certainly don't need to heat up a full pot of water for one cup of coffee. Only boil as much water as you will actually use. This way, you save water and use significantly less energy by heating that smaller amount faster.
8. TAKE A COLD BREW
To absolutely minimize energy when making coffee, don't heat the water at all. The cold brewcoffee extraction method has become a trend especially during the summer months. Apart from the obvious refreshing effect at first sight, as a cold beverage, this brewing technique offers a unique taste experience.
Slow cold extraction results in a specific transfer of coffee flavours into the water. The result is a juicy coffee without bitterness with a bright taste. It is also variable for further use. Cold brew is often used in mixing coffee cocktails or served frothed with nitrogen in the form of Nitro cold brew.