Coffee
8 things you can do to Green Your Coffee
While chemicals and clear-cutting in the coffee farming process directly impact the environment, the larger issue of humane treatment of farmers looms large over your cup of Joe. When selecting a green coffee, GY recommends seeking overall sustainability: Look for Fair Trade coffee first, which ensures that farmers are paid a living wage for their product and work in safe conditions. (Small farmers also usually employ environmentally friendly farming methods.) Next, seek out Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee, which protects both farmer and environmental health. If these coffees are not available, then seek out the individual certifications of organic or shade-grown coffee.
Choose Fair Trade Certified coffee
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Buying coffee that is labeled as Fair Trade Certified promotes both the economic stability of small farmers and environmental stewardship.
Choose Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee
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Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is good for the environment—it's grown under natural shade cover with minimal to no chemicals—and ensures the fair treatment of farmers.
Choose organic coffee
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Conventional coffee crops are treated with environmentally hazardous chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Organic coffee is the chemical-free alternative, safer for you and the Earth.
Choose shade-grown coffee
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Coffee grown in natural shade discourages forest clear-cutting, which preserves the habitat of native bird species, and the overuse of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
Choose reusable or recycled coffee filters
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When brewing your own coffee, opt for reusable or recycled coffee filters to cut back on paper waste.
Recycle your coffee grounds
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In lieu of adding to landfills by throwing nutrient-rich coffee grounds in the trash, use them as an effective, organic lawn and garden fertilizer and composting element.
Buy food in bulk
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Grande-size your coffee purchasing by buying your beans from bulk bins. This will save on packaging (especially if you bring your own bag), which is key given that many coffee containers are not recyclable.
Choose eco-friendly packaging
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Many grocery stores and coffee shops will allow you to bring your own container to be re-filled with coffee—a great way to green your coffee.
Comments
1:33pm
fair trade is the top issue for me. sure shade grown and organic is nice, but when it comes to coffee, social justice is the priority for my cup. price per pound that goes to farmer increases from $.60 to over $1.20... the amount that multinationals pay farmers around the world is a bit ridiculous. i rather pay my extra buck in the north and feel reassured that someone is getting that money in the south. more here:
http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/coffee/
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