How to Go Green with Your Coffee and Tea

Who doesn’t love that first cup of energy-giving coffee in the morning? Most adults wake up and then immediately wish that they had some coffee to help them get moving again. Millions upon millions of dollars are spent every year by people at coffee houses where they stop to get their coffee before work, during lunch, or on their way home. We drink so much coffee and tea every day, that we often don’t think about how we can “go green” with it. But going green is a huge movement right now, and if you didn’t realize it before, you can actually help to save the environment by simply changing a few of your coffee or tea drinking habits.

Drinking Less

One way that you can help to save the environment is simply to drink less coffee and tea! How much coffee do you imbibe on a regular day…two cups…four…more? If you’re drinking more than a few cups of coffee per day, you may actually be doing damage to your body. Studies show that drinking too much coffee can actually raise your blood pressure and can cause other health issues that you will likely not want. It can definitely be difficult to cut down your caffeine intake, but it can actually be something that saves your life, not to mention being “green.”

Local Breweries

One way to be green is actually to check out local coffee brewers. When you’re looking for coffee, skip the big box stores and start checking out the local independent farms that are selling coffee. Many times these farms need your support and are actually creating organic coffee. And roasters are another group that you can check out. You may find that their coffee is not only less expensive, but much richer as well.

The Mug

When you drink coffee, what are you drinking from? Many people drink from the styrofoam cups that are provided at the café, or out of the paper cups that they have at the office. Instead of throwing away dozens of these non-reusable cups every week, try bringing in one or two reusable mugs. These reusable mugs will keep your coffee just as hot as you want it, while helping you save the environment; some keep the coffee so hot that you literally have to wait ten minutes to sip it. This week, try counting all of the disposable cups that you use. You’ll likely be very surprised at how many get used. And, at the same time, think about how many cups of coffee you’ve consumed. Having your own mug is a great way to go green.

Brewing Your Own

This tip may be a bit difficult for some people. There are theories out there that some coffee lovers are actually addicted to a specific brand of coffee – a brand that they can only get by visiting their local barista’s business. Instead of going to the big box chain coffee shop and paying $4 or more to get a cup of coffee, try brewing your own at home. When you are brewing your own coffee, or tea, at home, you know exactly where the leaves and the beans are coming from and you know what happens when it’s time to throw them away. You can, in fact, actually throw the beans into your compost pile in order to help the environment another way.

When you brew at home, it’s easy to use your reusable mug, and to be able to use organic items in your coffee or tea, like organic milk, soy milk, or organic sugars. If you’re in doubt about how much brewing your coffee at home can save you, try keeping track of all the coffee that you purchase in a month, then track the price of the coffee that you are making at home. You’ll quickly see that you can save a great amount of money by brewing your coffee at home. Pick up a high quality brewing machine and some prime coffee beans and you can even make coffee that tastes better than the coffee that you get at your café. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing it is an organic blend. You can save the environment, save money, and enjoy the taste of your own organically brewed coffee all at the same time.

There are many ways that you can save money when you’re drinking coffee and tea that also help the environment. Look for fair trade coffee beans to purchase and start making your own coffee in your own kitchen. Grab a reusable coffee mug or thermos and use that instead of using disposable cups. With all of these little changes in place, you’ll actually be making a huge change in your carbon footprint, without really having to give up the thing that you love so much.