Zero Waste Coffee

There is something so satisfying about the aroma of freshly ground and brewed coffee. It’s enough to make you smile even though you have to get out of bed and you desperately wanted just 5 more minutes of sleep. For some people, coffee is a must have, a necessity to start the day or for their personality to kick in. For others, having a warm beverage in the morning is just a comforting part of the routine.

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The process of brewing coffee can be pretty wasteful, especially when it comes to those single use coffee pods and disposable coffee cups. But it doesn't have to be.

An estimated 50 billion* disposable coffee 

cups are used each year in the US alone.

If you’re buying coffee out, then you are in for some real savings, in money and time! If you are currently making coffee at home then it'll be even easier. Also, if you drink black coffee, then you are ahead of the game. We are not black coffee drinkers...

• First, the coffee. Every grocery store I've been to that has bulk bins - has bulk coffee. And they usually have a huge variety so you're bound to find one that you like. Our local natural grocery store has a pretty good selection of bulk coffee with organic options. It's nice if you can find one that is also fair trade and locally roasted! 

• Second, sweetener. We both like our coffee sweetened and generally just use organic unrefined cane sugar - which we find in the bulk bins. You can also use brown sugar, honey, agave, or maple syrup which can be found in the bulk section as well. 

• Next, milk or cream. The milk and cream we buy comes in glass containers**. They also have half and half but we find that it's actually less expensive to buy a pint of cream and a quart of whole milk and mix them ourselves, then we have a pint of whole milk left over, either to use plain in coffee or for some other recipes.

• Lastly, the brewing method. There are many options for brewing your coffee. Traditional coffee makers, french press, or pour over. While we have had many different brewing methods over the years, we prefer the french press or the pour over because they take up less space and you can find them made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel.  

By our calculations, it costs us just under 50 cents per cup, including organic unrefined sugar, and local non-homogenized half and half. Whereas when we were buying coffee at a cafe, we were spending about $10 per day. Obviously that comes down to beverage choice. We normally don't opt for plain coffee with cream at a coffee shop, but I don't know where you can get even regular coffee for under $1 a cup.

Although our main goal for going towards zero waste isn't necessarily a financial one, we are definitely seeing that we are saving money in some areas.

*I found this on CNN website - but I couldn’t find the reference from their source. One of their references led to which.co.uk, who estimates 2.5 billion paper cups are thrown away in the UK. 

** The lids on the glass milk containers are made out of recyclable plastic. Not a perfect solution - but maybe some day they'll have a better option for lids.