We all love a good cup of coffee in the morning, yet there are quite a few things to consider in order to make sure that you’re keeping things eco-friendly! We’re here to cover them all, from choosing your beans through to your milk and everything in between.
Choose Your Beans Carefully
Firstly, you need to make sure you’re choosing your coffee beans wisely. The main things to look out for are ensuring that you look for different certifications that show the beans have been responsibly sourced. This includes:
- Fairtrade that ensures fair prices and working conditions for farmers
- The Rainforest Alliance which looks at environmental sustainability and protecting biodiversity
- Organic which shows that the coffee was growth without synthetic pesticides which protects both farmer health and the environment
You should also source your beans from local roasteries that are committed to the environment, as there are plenty out there that use renewable energies and sustainable practices to roast their coffee!
Use An Alternative Method To Filter
Next, choose your brewing method wisely. Disposable filters are a popular choice but they are one of the worst choices for the environment. Using something like French Press is good because it uses no electricity, however you will need to boil the water separately. If you like a stronger coffee using an espresso machine and an electric grinder, choose ones that are very well built and will last for years, like the DF54 grinder, helping to minimise environmental impact.
Reuse Your Coffee Grounds
One of the best things you can do to make your home brewing more eco friendly is to reuse your coffee grounds! Just throwing them away isn’t good for the environment, especially when there are so many different and interesting ways to use them. Getting your kids involved with this will also help to nurture the next generation of eco-warriors!
- Use them in your garden as a natural fertiliser! Simply scatter over your soil and watch the magic happen, as they’re rich in nitrogen and other nutrients that fuel your plants, as well as deterring pests.
- Add to your compost pile to help decompose and improve the fertility of the soil.
- Create your own body exfoliator by combining a cup of coffee grounds with half a cup of coconut oil and 4 tbsp water. Use it in the shower to feel super smooth afterwards!
- Add coffee grounds to your meat marinades, as the acidic nature helps to break down meat fibres, making the meat really tender.
Choose Plant Based Milks
Another eco-friendly way to transform your coffee routine is to choose plant based milks. They are generally considered as better for the environment as they produce lower greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, something like oat milk is so delicious and creamy! To maximise your commitment to the environment, it’s great to make your own, as you’ll avoid needing to recycle any cardboard.
The recipe couldn’t be simpler. Add 100g of oats to a bowl, cover with water and leave to soak overnight. The next day, sieve to remove the water and rinse with cold water. Tip the oats into a blender and add 750ml of cold water, ½ tsp fine sea salt and a date is optional for some sweetness. Blend for 3 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth, then sieve through a muslin cloth into a jug! Store in the fridge in an air-tight container and enjoy!
Use the oats that are remaining after draining in all sorts of things, from cake mixtures to breakfast bars or adding to smoothies for absolutely zero waste.
Get A Reusable Cup and Take On The Go
Last but certainly not least, if you usually get takeaway coffees, then get yourself a good reusable cup and make your own coffee at home. Not only will you save so much money by doing this, but you’ll be saving a huge amount of cardboard and plastic disposable cups that you get when you choose takeaway. You can use the saved money to improve your home setup so you won’t miss those takeaway coffees!
Sign in to leave a comment.