We love our coffee. According to a 2024 National Coffee Association report, about 67% of us drink coffee each day. The study also found, “Ready-to-drink coffee became the third most popular preparation method among past-day coffee drinkers, nearly doubling from 8% to 15% and knocking espresso machines to fourth place. Drip coffee makers (37%) and single-cup brewers (28%) continue to be the top two at-home preparation methods.”
It’s hard to beat the convenience of a quick, fresh cup the instant you want one. While ready-to-drink coffee and our at-home machines are convenient, they generate waste. But we can minimize the waste and still enjoy our favorite way to start the day.
What to do?
So, what can you do if you love coffee AND a clean planet? Don’t lose heart. There are options. The good news is that they are all more environmentally friendly and less expensive than pre-made coffee in glass and plastic containers and coffee pods; plus, this will only take a bit more of your time.
- If you don’t yet own a single-cup coffee machine, you don’t need to buy one. Many drip coffee pots offer multiple settings to make just the amount of coffee you want or need. Combine a drip system with a compostable or reusable coffee filter, and the resulting waste is entirely compostable.
- Filter-based drip systems, known as “pour-overs,” use the same compostable coffee grounds and are available in machine or manual designs.
- French presses make delicious coffee at a fraction of the price and don’t need a filter.
Plus, many coffee drinkers prefer the taste of coffee brewed by traditional methods over that made from a pod or premade, ready-to-drink coffee. You’ll also save money because whole beans and ground coffee are generally cheaper per cup than coffee pods and pre-made coffee.
If you happen to live in a household with a machine that uses coffee pods, or if you have one at work, please consider investing in a reusable filter unit that allows you to use the coffee of your choice by filling your reusable pod. After each use, simply empty the used, compostable coffee grounds from the unit and reuse the pod. For brewed coffee, the grounds and paper filters can be composted in your backyard compost bin. The grounds will add nitrogen, and the paper filters will add carbon.
Need to ease into a change?
Perhaps you are skeptical about going cold turkey and making a complete and immediate transition. That’s OK. Work to reduce the amount of ready-made coffee you drink and the number of disposable coffee pods you use, opting for more environmentally friendly coffee-making methods or refillable filter pods whenever you can. In no time, you’ll build a habit that creates less waste.
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