Oil aside, coffee is the most highly traded commodity in the world. The global demand for it stretches from coffee houses in Sydney, to cafe’s in Italy, to street stalls in Vietnam.

Unsurprisingly, all of this coffee consumption takes a heavy toll on the environment. Most of us do not consider the deforestation caused by coffee farming, the huge amount of water consumption, and the mountains of paper products (filters, cups, etc.) we create as a by-product of our coffee habit.

If you want to drink coffee (relatively) guilt free, here are some ways to make your coffee habit more environmentally friendly:

Drink Local – Get coffee that has traveled the shortest distance to reach you so as help lower the impact of shipping on the environment.

Buy A Cool Mug – Purchase a really cool mug that you will want to use over and over again; eliminating the need for styrofoam cups, plastic sippy tops, java jackets, cup holders, etc.

Skip The Coffee Stirrer – Instead of mixing sugar and cream into your coffee, try adding the sugar and cream in the empty cup. Then slowly pour your hot coffee on top, and let the heat naturally dissolve the sugar.

Compost Your Coffee Grounds – Instead of just throwing out your used coffee grounds, create a compost heap and toss your used coffee grounds in. The nitrogen rich coffee will produce a powerful fertilizer. You can also spread it on top of your plant’s soil.

Purchase Organic Coffee – Organic coffee is grown without toxic chemicals, and is grown in a way that protects sensitive ecosystems and the birds that inhabit them.

Buy Fair Trade Coffee – Rainforest Alliance and Transfair coffees not only ensure fair living wages for farmers, they consider environmental standards in their certification process.

Select A Good Filter – To minimize unnecessary paper consumption, buy a reusable gold coffee filter; not only will it help the environment, it makes your coffee taste better. You should look for unbleached, biodegradable ones.

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TheCoffeeMakerStore.com is a daily blog and e-commerce store about coffee, coffee makers, and coffee culture. Download our free eco-friendly coffee tips widget that displays ways to make your coffee habit more gentle on the environment.