Drink up and do good at the same time.
A whole year awaits us, shiny and uncertain. It’s bound to be filled with political upheaval, struggling economies and packed full of moments beautiful, absurd and horrific. One thing will remain much the same, COFFEE. Start 2011 off right by adopting a few simple changes to your coffee routine and enjoy how easily you made the world a little bit better.
Coffee has become an entrenched staple in life and the caffeine fix isn’t likely to disappear any time soon. American’s consume an average of 400 million cups of coffee a day (146 billion cups a year) and the National Coffee Association reports that in 2009 a whopping 56 percent of the U.S. population drank coffee daily regardless of economic conditions. So, why not extend those New Year’s resolutions to include one of the things nearly as stable as death and taxes? Here are a few simple things you can do to make that coffee more environmentally and socially responsible.
Look out for the environment and cut those convenient but totally wasteful, disposable paper cups from your routine. If you aren’t staying at a coffee shop or making your drinks at home, bring a reusable mug out with you. In 2006 alone over 6.5 million trees were cut down to make 16 billion paper cups for U.S. consumers. That equals (among other things) 4 billion gallons of water used in production and 253 million pounds of cups in the garbage. Imagine the impacts if American’s curtailed their use of paper cups! Do your part and keep a mug in your backpack, handy at the office, or waiting in your car. (Added bonus, travel and vacuum mugs keep those precious drinks hot a lot longer.)
Not quite ready to cut out the convenient cup? Then get your coffee from a shop that puts that coffee in a compostable cup and then actually compost it. Another option: consider leaving the disposable sleeve behind or buy a reusable sleeve. Atlas Purveyors in Boulder sells cup sleeves made from ultra chic recycled fabrics for $5 a pop (Atlas uses them in-house and has kept an estimated 13,800 sleeves from going into the trash in 2010!). They’re adorable, comfortable and can be used with pint glasses or partnered with disposable cups. Every little bit helps.
Become a champion of the underprivileged and marginalized coffee farmers of the world! All you have to do is buy coffee from sources that are Fair Trade. Choosing socially conscious coffees helps to alleviate poverty and protect the environment. You will pay a premium, but there is a lot of amazing, reasonably priced Fair Trade coffee out there.
Fair Trade coffee gives once exploited farmers a livable wage and other opportunities (like education and support for environmentally sustainable practices). Keep in mind that no system is perfect and often the most reliable Fair Trade coffees are directly sourced by coops and roasters to guarantee first-hand that farmers and workers get paid well for their product. Feel free to ask your local coffee shop or roaster about their beans and Fair Trade options.
If you aren’t already doing these things, why not give them a try? Not only will you get your caffeine fix, you can also feel great knowing that you are actually making the world a little bit better… one coffee at a time.
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