![]() ‘One third of the amount of coffee goes into a pod than we might use at home in a filter. The answer, then, might rest in using less coffee per cup. Feeding our coffee habits has an effect on water availability, local ecosystems and climate change – all of that before the bean is even picked and transported thousands of miles across the planet for roasting. Plastic waste is an issue, but experts have found that the greater environmental impacts of our coffee consumption begins right at the very source of the chain, when farming and harvesting the beans. It’s more energy efficient to heat just enough water for one portion with a machine instead of boiling a kettle for an instant cup of Nescafé. ![]() In terms of energy (after the growing, harvesting and transporting of beans to their end destination), a barista-type brew uses more energy than if you make a coffee with a capsule. While environmentalists and campaigners for a greener planet might then opt for a filter coffee to avoid adding to our plastic waste, the capsule (done right) could well be the answer to our sustainable coffee quandaries. Around 39,000 of these little pods are produced every minute and 29,000 end up in landfill at the same rate. In recent years, with the convenience of coffee machines tucked into kitchens all over the western world has come the inconvenience of the coffee capsules. Since then, the global coffee market has grown to be worth more than US$400b globally. Dating back to 1962 and the very first International Coffee Agreement, sustainability and fair trade in an industry that sees so many third-world workers exploited has been a pervasive issue. But sustainability isn’t a new topic to those working in the coffee sector. ![]() Is the cup that fuels your morning productivity sustainable? It might not be a question we ask ourselves when we’re knocking back that espresso.
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