It’s no secret that college students love their coffee, but tossing out coffee filters filled with coffee grounds everyday isn’t the best way to dispose of them as far as the environment is concerned. Not to mention, coffee filters cost money, and I’m cheap. Fortunately, this week’s sustainability tip about coffee is earth friendly and cost effective!
I know what you’re thinking. Coffee filters are thin and probably disintegrate quickly and swapping is not going to make a big impact. Well, you’re right (sort of). Paper filters will decompose in landfills over time (and even quicker in composts), but the whole idea of being more sustainable is using less stuff and consuming less plastic wrapped crap, and reducing emissions caused by the production of said crap. There really isn’t a need for paper filters to be produced and packaged in plastic only to be tossed in a landfill.
When I first decided to live more sustainably, I knew it would start
with little changes, and making my coffee consumption more sustainable is one of them. Small ripple in the ocean, right? That’s why I switched to a reusable coffee filter made of surgical grade stainless-steel mesh and a bit of BPA-free plastic.
Using my new coffee filter is so easy. I just dump the coffee grounds out and rinse any stubborn remaining grounds in the sink. When I go on a cleaning streak and decide to clean my coffee maker, the reusable filter can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher.
The best part about this filter is that it only cost $6.75, and it will last for years. On average, a pack of 100 of the cheap coffee filters is about $7 or $8. A year’s worth of filters is still more expensive than this reusable filter that will last several years, so I’d say this is a smart move money-wise as well. It might not be huge savings, but my parents always say, “a fool and his money are soon parted,” so I try to save anywhere I can.
BONUS:
If you want to make your coffee consumption even more sustainable, compost your coffee grounds. They are a great item to add to your compost because they are rich in nitrogen and provide the bacteria in your compost energy to turn your food scraps into soil. Composting is on my sustainable switches to do list, but for now it’s all about baby steps to improving my habits.
THE EARTH'S AGENDA 