We can all benefit from a coffee in the morning, right? If you are one of the people having coffee regularly, there are some things you could do in order to turn this habit into a green one that will help you enjoy your beverage and help the environment in the same time.
1. Reusable filters
There are many different kinds of reusable filters to choose form, including the organic ones, the ones made of stainless steel and those pleated with gold. Whichever you choose you can reduce the carbon footprint and the waste of the coffee machine. There are some machines that come with permanent filters, which are the best to choose.
2. Coffee
Not all coffee beans are the same. It is best to go for the organic coffee beans that are shade-grown and fair-traded.
Organic coffee is the one that has been grown according to the standards without the use of fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. Fair trade refers to the coffee that has been purchased from the producer at a higher price than the standard one.
3. Coffee mug
Plastic and paper cups should be switched with your own coffee mug, no matter whether you use it at home or at the office. The majority of the coffee machines allow you to use cups of this kind. If you are faced with a machine that uses paper cups, you should suggest changing it for another model.
4. Energy consumption
Some of the machines turn off automatically once the coffee is ready, while others make it possible to put them on a timer. Usually the small coffee machines use less energy than the larger espresso machines and they need less energy to brew and grind the coffee. This means that getting a smaller one is a better choice.
5. Chemicals and cleaning
The simple and small coffee machines can be cleaned with vinegar. The more sophisticated coffee machines usually come with their own cleaning solutions that usually are filled with different kinds of chemicals. This is something to consider before buying a coffee machine.
6. Reuse the coffee waste
The majority of people throw away the used coffee grounds, but there are many different ways to reuse it around the house. For instance, you could use them as fertilizer in the garden and all you have to do is to mix it with soil. Also it acts as repellant against snails and ants.
