Zero Waste Coffee and Tea
Coffee and tea are a big part of my daily routines. I usually have a cup of tea or coffee next to me as I work or play with my kids. To make zero waste coffee and tea, brewing your own at home is a most effortless and sustainable choice. To produce less waste, be sure to make only single servings of coffee or tea if it’s just for you. Brewing a pot of coffee or tea may result in extra coffee, filters and grounds that ultimately end up being dumped into the trash. The good news that there are things you can do with leftover coffee and you can read about this in this post.
Buy in bulk—Buy coffee in bulk in the U.S. because coffee is one of the products most available in bulk form. Make sure the coffee you buy is fair trade and organic. To make it zero waste, bring your own bag or jar to avoid having to use a wasteful paper or plastic bag. For tea, make sure to skip bagged tea and go for bulk. Naturally with the covid epidemic most stores no longer accept that you bring your own containers or even no longer sells coffee in bulk. However, we will get back to bulk shopping allowed once again I’m sure. Here is our YouTube Video of making zero waste coffee:
Tea can be more tricky to find in bulk, but there are tea stores around the country selling tea in volume. When I run across them, I tend to stock up. You can also buy organic tea in bulk online.
Bring your coffee or tea to go—If you are used to bringing your coffee or tea on the go, then invest in a nonplastic, reusable car cup. That way, you can still brew at home.
Brew zero waste—For my tea I use a plastic free tea strainer, and for coffee I use a stainless steel French press. But you can also use a coffee maker and a reusable coffee filter.
Zero waste coffee and tea practice does not end there. Make sure to compost leftover coffee grounds and tea leaves. There are also many different uses for leftover coffee grounds and you can read more about that here.
