Environmentally Friendly Coffee: Brewed with a Conscience

The idea of taking small steps to help the environment is something that more people are considering. With the release of “The Inconvenient Truth” and other environmentally aware documentaries, more people are realizing the impact they have on the world around them – and they are wondering just how they can help in their lives. With environmentally friendly coffee, you can contribute to helping the environment. Here’s how.

One of the best ways to help the earth in terms of your coffee consumption is to look for coffees that are Fair Trade and shade grown as well as organic. These coffees are produced in more earth-friendly ways and generally are not contributing to pollution or the cutting down of trees. The shade grown coffees utilize the natural features of the land in order to produce rich coffees that don’t require clearing of land and trees. Organic coffees are not produced with any pesticides that might leach into the ground water supply.

But it also goes beyond the coffee beans. You will want to head to your local coffee shop with a plastic or ceramic mug in hand so that you’re not using up their paper products. While paper is recyclable and reusable, the shiny coatings that are put onto some coffee shop cups make them landfill fodder that will sit on the earth for years until it decomposes. To reduce this waste, try to bring your own cup with you wherever you go or use a cup that will be washed and reused. If you forget your cup, simply use the paper cup that they offer, but be sure to use it several times before you throw it away – every little bit helps.

If you’re running your own coffee shop, you have a number of things you can do to help create a greener establishment. Try looking for cups, napkins, stirrers, and lids that have been made out of recycled materials. This will allow each cup that is used to have less of an impact than it would as a new product. These cups and supplies are generally no more expensive than new cups, and create an earthier look to your coffee shop.

And in promoting your green appeal, you will begin to set yourself apart from other coffee shops that are not trying to be as environmentally friendly. Since more people than ever are trying to do something to help the earth, you will increase your attractiveness to the customer – while also doing something to lessen the overall landfill waste.