Protected: How sustainable is your tea and coffee?

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  Coffee and tea are something most of us can’t do without on a daily basis.
  Yet, how sustainable are our teas and coffees? When we boil the kettle and fill a cup, we are partaking in a huge global economy, from the farmers who produce, the land they farm and the communities they participate in, to the companies who ship and market the products, and all the resources such as water and electricity that go into producing a spoon of coffee or a single tea bag.

  Water
  A study by Water Footprint found that to produce a single cup of coffee from growing the bean to your cup cost 130 litres of water!
  
  Water Footprint considers the water it takes to grow and nourish the plant including groundwater, rain, irrigation (or watering) and any water that is wastewater. This compares to 220 litres per glass of apple juice and 200litres per glass of orange juice. Tea was the lowest water use to produce at 27 litres per mug.

  The Cost of Single Crops to the Farmer and the Environment
  Other things to consider are the local environmental cost of producing monoculture crops like tea and coffee. Monoculture stops diversity in planting and over time depletes the soil, requiring increased use of fertiliser and the use of insecticides to protect the single plant that is at risk from predators and disease due to its large scale. Both grow in tropical and semi-tropical areas of the world and there is often forest clearing associated with increased growth and thus habitat destruction. Coffee produces less per hectare than tea

  Carbon Footprint
  Tea and coffee also require processing, including drying, steaming, roasting, to name a few. This requires energy. In India, it is estimated that for every 1kg of tea takes 0.5kWh of electricity.
  
  There is also the carbon footprint to consider. For a cup of black coffee, that’s relatively small. But once milk is added – it is estimated a large cappuccino could cost 235g CO2 (a latte is more CO2: less froth, more milk=more CO2)
  
  In comparison to a cup of black coffee or tea (only boiling the water you need) is 21g CO2. Most of us won’t be giving up our cups of coffee and tea. Yet making some simple changes will reduce the impact of your drinks on the environment.

  Top tips for making your tea and coffee habit more sustainable

  • Bring your own reusable cup for your tea and coffee and avoid single use cups
  • When you make a cup of tea or coffee at home, always compost the grounds/leaves
  • If you do use a compostable cup, make sure you compost it – if you put it in the black or green bin it actually is more polluting – it can’t break down in landfill and it contaminates recycling
  • Try a milk alternative, such as oat milk that has a lower carbon footprint, water use and land use in comparison to other plant milks and dairy
  • Choose a Fairtrade coffee, to ensure the growers who produce the coffee cherries or tea leaves get a living wage from the products they grow.
  • Choose organic coffee or tea, to reduce the number of pesticides and chemical fertilisers
  • Drink your tea or coffee black, no sugar (don’t forget sugar adds to your carbon footprint)
  • Use loose-leaf tea, as many tea bags are not biodegradable and may contain plastic (such as polypropylene)
  • Drink homemade herbal teas from herbs in the back garden – a great way to improve the environment and great on taste. Try mint, lavender, lemon balm, chamomile thyme, lemon verbena.
  • Most coffee pods are made for single use. If you can, try the stainless steel reusable coffee pods
  • When you boil the kettle for your cuppa, only boil the water you need, more water boiled increases the carbon footprint and cost for you – measure your water in your cup and pour it into the kettle