The Coffee Maker

Two things should be kept in mind when a coffee maker is considered. Coffee makers use a lot of energy and secondly a lot of paper goes into the coffee filter. It diminishes the environmental impact to buy coffee filters from unbleached, recycled paper. Some coffee makers have a special save energy mode.

Espresso makers are more environmentally friendly in that they do not require paper. Most coffee makers should be plugged in only when the coffee is actually being made. Very cheap coffee makers don’t last very long and buying new coffee makers (disgarding the old ones) all the time is not very good for the environment.

More than the coffee maker the choice of coffee matters because the social and environmental impact of coffee production can be enormous, except where fair trade is considered. By buying organically grown, fair trade coffee you can ensure that you are not polluting your body or the environment. Fair trade ensures that workers have been fairly treated and that they have received adequate compensation  for their labor.