Coffee times are part of the daily life of most people in Indonesia and the world. Based on data from the Ministry of Agriculture, it was noted that domestic coffee consumption in this country reached 294,000 tons in 2020.
The high consumption of coffee in Indonesia can also be seen from the increasing number of local coffee shops in every corner of the city. In fact, one of the largest local coffee merchants in the country already has more than 20 million customers with total monthly sales reaching 5 million cups.
From a large number of sales and consumption, of course, it also has an impact on the environment. The most worrying problem is none other than plastic waste and the waste of the production that is not processed properly.
Even so, that doesn’t mean we are banned to drink coffee. There are a number of ways to make your coffee times more environmentally friendly.
1. Carefully Choose Coffee Products or Providers
Check the label and certification of the selected coffee product. Ensure that the product is manufactured in compliance with environmental and humanitarian regulations. For example, coffee beans come from natural cultivation without the use of excess chemicals.
You can also ensure that the coffee plantation does not disturb the surrounding ecosystem, such as disturbing wildlife habitats or causing soil erosion.
It’s even better if you choose a product that also meets social, economic, and environmental criteria. Such as ensuring that farmers are treated and paid fairly, good waste management, and limited use of pesticides.
2. Ensure Environmentally Friendly Packaging
It would be better if the packaging of the selected coffee product can be recycled or is the result of recycling. You can also buy coffee in large quantities at once so that the packaging waste can be reduced.
When buying in bulk, ask the seller for advice on how to maintain the quality of the coffee. Whether it’s in terms of storage methods to the best containers or places.
If you want to buy coffee sachets, make sure the manufacturer uses environmentally friendly packaging. This also applies when choosing capsule coffee. Fortunately, now there are sachet or instant coffee producers that pay attention to sustainability.
3. Using a Coffee Press or Moka Pot
Using an electric coffee machine surely makes life easier. However, when used every day, even more than once a day, it is certainly not in harmony with the concept of sustainability.
As an alternative, you can use a traditional coffee press or moka pot. This tool is more energy-efficient because only requires hot water and coffee. You can switch completely to this tool or use it interchangeably with your electric coffee machine.
In addition to the moka pot, you can also use other manual coffee brewing tools, such as a French press and poured coffee with coffee filter paper.
4. Using a Reusable Cup or Tumbler
Those of you who drink coffee every day through local coffee merchants better minimize the use of the packaging or plastic straws provided. Great Forest Australia notes that plastic cups used in coffee shops account for 20% of the world’s total waste.
Bring your own cup or tumbler to reduce plastic waste. If you buy it through a delivery service application, make sure that the bag that is used is reusable.
5. Composting Coffee Grounds
It has been mentioned above that coffee consumption in Indonesia reaches hundreds of thousands of tons a year. Meanwhile, data from the same source also notes that coffee production itself has reached more than 700,000 tons per year.
From this figure, we can certainly see how much waste comes from coffee production. To help reduce it, we can use coffee grounds as compost.
In addition to its delicious taste, coffee also contains ingredients that are good for composting. Among them are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and minerals that can support plant health.