Not many people think of their coffee habits when they consider what they could do to be more environmentally sustainable.  However, the cultivation, production, and consumption of coffee generate huge amounts of pollution, deforestation, and waste.  Fortunately, transitioning to more sustainable coffee drinking is relatively simple.

If you brew coffee at home, the most important thing you can do is buy the right beans.  Look for beans that are organic, meaning they were grown without the use of harmful pesticides.  Also look for coffee that is “shade grown.”  Coffee plants grow best under the shade of other vegetation, but are often planted in open fields to increase their growing speed.  Shade grown coffee not only tastes better, it means that the natural biodiversity in the area has been preserved.  Coffee grown in Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Bolivia and Ethiopia is more likely to be shade grown, while coffee grown in Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam is more likely to be grown in full sunlight.

Another important aspect of home-brewing is the device you use.  I recommend a French press because it does not require a filter and it does not use electricity.  If you cannot part with your electric coffee maker, invest in some reusable filters so that you generate less waste and be sure to unplug it when it’s not being used.  To further reduce coffee related waste, compost your coffee grounds or mix them into your soil directly.

If you are buying coffee from a coffee shop, bring along a travel mug or reusable cup rather than using a disposable one.  Most establishments are happy to fill these and some even offer discounts to customers who bring their own cups.  If you forget to bring a cup and have to get a disposable one, be sure to hang on to it until you can recycle it.  Both the paper and plastic cups from most cafés are recyclable, but unfortunately there are rarely recycling containers in coffee shops.