apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Please bring your reusable coffee mugs to coffeeshops. We need to move out of the disposable culture we live in. Once in a while, sure, but some people get coffee to go every day, several times a day, and some double cupped.

What a waste!

And coffee grounds are great for composting.

"Then again, even if we changed our twice- or thrice-a-week coffee habit... not to sound cynical, but what impact would that have on this worldwide industry?"

Are you kidding me? With all my respects... Do you write in a website about green living?

Think globally act LOCALLY!

Having once had my boss bring a coffeemaker to work because it would (I quote) "make me nicer", I think coffee is non-negotiable for me.

That said, everything is a trade-off. I've been to coffee growing regions and seen the increase in living standards that fair-trade coffee brings to the people. There are ways to make it more sustainable, such as shade grown coffee that allows the natural canopy to stay standing and provide bird habitat and natural diversity. Sure, there is more degradation to the soil than a virgin forest, but without coffee it most likely be another, possibly more damaging crop AND/OR a less profitable crop for the workers.

For a long time I was against drinking coffee but since then I've made my peace. I don't buy coffee from coffee houses or chains but I do buy beans that are either fair-trade or from Hawaii and I brew them at home or at work using a French press. No filters, no paper cups, no cardboard wrapper things, etc. I think that's as green as I can get while being okay with my decision.

The keurig machine on the other hand, forget it. They had that trash maker at my work for a while. I was so glad to see it gone!

I agree with Faithbck, everything is a trade off. I visited a coffee plantation too. That made me want to I try to buy fair trade when I can (economy sometimes dictates otherwise.) I make brewing it a no waste process. When I was single I used a french press. Now that I'm married I use a reusable gold coffee filter in my automatic coffee maker. Both items are supposed to make better coffee. If I have leftover brewed coffee in the pot, I put it in a glass jar in the refrigerator for baking, cooking or freeze it into ice cubes for iced coffee. I sprinkle the used grounds on my potted plants or in my flower beds for fertilizer.

Dont think coffee is 100% green it does however keep people in jobs etc so benefits to the persons well being and society are a trade off.

Excuse me, but since when is "turmoil" a verb? Perhaps the energy wasted on agonizing (not "turmoiling") over $2 cups of coffee would be better spent taking your coffeemaker down off the shelf....

And if the pleasure & sustenance I derive from my morning cup o' joe also benefits a farmer's cooperative down in Guatemala ... well, I'm not experiencing a lot of turmoil about that!

"What's your verdict on the world's favorite caffeinated beverage?"

I thought tea was the world's favorite caffeinated beverage.

Get a grip. You are concerned about how your coffee is being processed?! You really think that makes a difference? Insulate your house, get a new heating system, walk or take the bicycle for your way to work, don't buy a new car every other year, try generally to be less wasteful. These are the things that matter. If you are really concerned about water, get a modern toilet that uses less water or/and cut off a minute or two on your daily shower(s). Agreed, this is less glamorous then buying something with an organic label, but it actually might change something. Water consumption of private households in the US is about three times that of other western countries.

Coffee is delicious. That's all I need to know. i love to buy fair trade and organic beans, but it comes down to flavor for me.

My mother works for Starbucks (as a barista) and loves it -- when she had health problems, she had insurance, and when she went back, the employees were welcoming. I'm concerned with ecology and conservation, but those corporate culture/humanitarian issues are important, too.

I'm surprised - having found this post via the Kitchn - that you folks mentioned the coffee maker; I've been cold-brewing my coffee since I discovered the method, which reduces acid and fats and brings out much better flavor. Cold-brewing produces a concentrate which can be warmed up for hot coffee or left chilled for cold - you mix with water, and milk or other flavor of your choice! It uses less energy to make - especially if you think about weekly or daily brewing, and is a better product.

I use the beans to keep my hydrangeas blue and also for dying fabrics an "antique" color for quilting.

I understand the concerns about the processing - maybe there is a way to process the beans oneself? But if not, all kinds of other foods are heavily processed, and I'd venture a guess that coffee isn't the worst offender. You have to pick your battles, I think!

I'm no expert but I could talk to people that are buyers and have relationships with producers in other countries.

Personally, I look at coffee the same as other imported agricultural products like chocolate, wine or olive oil. I like to buy small batches at a time and the best quality.

Occasionally, I will buy coffee to go from different places like SB's for example and do not know where their coffee comes from and if it is a "green" purchase. These are the things that happen in a society of convenience. But there's a difference between convenience and dependence. Does anyone watch Flipping Out on Bravo? Talk about a disposable lifestyle. Everyone has a to go cup in every scen it seems like. Not to mention, everyone eats carry-out food. It's good that they are pumping up the local economy but it is funny to think that the show is about designing homes that are up to the moment stylish and functional and they eat cheap-ass fast food and drink coffee out of paper cups in them. They should show off the functionality of the homes and some high end features like built-in coffee makers and fun kitchens to cook in. I'm sure that Zoila gets paid very well, she could make Mexican food better than Baja Fresh and any kind of coffee drink they would like. But I digress.

Most of my coffee is consumed at work where I was persuasive in having a very nice espresso machine installed.

I have to have coffee. I MUST have coffee. End of story.

I just moved into a new home and my coffe maker had not lasted through the move. My wonderful mother bought be a coffee maker because I have to have my coffee. While I like a good white chocolate mocha from SB or a Hazlenut (iced or hot) from DD I prefer to makemyown and I usually make a pot and drink it throughout the day and will reuse the grounds on the same day once if need be. Other wise I have a few pots for planting come spring and am in the process of mixing in the coffee grounds with the dirt to get them ready.

I had no idea that there were problems such as fair-trade in the coffe industry. I usually just stick with folgers or maxwellhouse as finances permit. But I will have tolook into the fair-trade and see if those companies comply otherwise maybe thers an inexpensive alternative.

Anybody know an inexpensive Hazlenut coffee (ground as I don't yet have a bean grinder) that is good and carried at a Harris Teeter or Food Lion?

It's been said by now, but the point of green living is small, conscious decisions and trade-offs... I used to have a coffee maker, and when my roommate moved out, so did it. Now I use a french press, and the only 'waste' is the used-up grounds-- which can be composted. Like many people here, I would assume, I buy my coffee in bulk and in small quantities, using containers I bring from home. I haven't bought non-organic or non-fair trade coffee in years. And, frankly, I'm less concerned with the water use for processing than I am with supporting the small families growing sustainable coffee around the world. I think keeping small enterprises going is far more important.

You miss the point with this whole coffee story. Your very existence is having an impact on the planet. Imagine how much less used the planet would if all of us engaged in this very discussion were just never born. Maybe we should all commit suicide before we put any more strain on this planet.