a greener caffeine fix


Ch-ch-checkin' my new year's resolutions off, one by one! A new regular feature on Eco Cajun, I said?

Well, welcome to What's the Alternative to...?! Each week, I'll look at the more eco-friendly alternative to many common items a lot of us use.

I'll kick things off this week with one of everyone's favorite inventions.



Keurigs and other single cup coffee makers have been tres popular the past few years, showing up in every twentysomething's kitchen and wedding registry. Of course it's popular...it's so easy to make a single cup of coffee and not have to dirty as much dishes in the process!

However, it promotes the idea of more waste, and it's expensive! A pack of 8 cups can run you about $12, where you can get a bag of the same kind of coffee that makes a hell of a lot more than 8 cups for around $7.

Standard coffee makers have reusable filters that replace those little white paper filters.

And the good news is that so do single cup coffee makers! You can find a plastic, washable K-cup sized reusable cup at many department stores or on the big bad Amazon! Even if your office coffee maker is one of these single-cup styles, you can still take the green route and choose reusable.

http://www.ekobrew.com/

Keurig makes its own version, found online. Solofill and Ekobrew both make options in different colors.

And it's just as easy to use as a single-use cup! Save money and waste by buying a larger bag of your favorite coffee - plus, you have a wider variety of coffee to choose from. When it's time to brew, fill your reusable cup with your coffee, pop in your coffee maker, and go! Simply rinse out the grinds and cup when you're finished, and you're ready for the next morning.

For all you non-coffee drinkers (my people!), you could easily fill a cup with tea leaves and have a nice, hot cup of tea in the morning! You would also save money by buying loose tea leaves instead of a box of single-use tea bags. While tea bags don't create as much waste as single-use cups, you can still reduce the amount you create.

Do you use a single-use coffee maker? If you try a reusable cup, let me know how quickly you notice the savings!

3 comments

Julie said...

Love this post and column!

I switched to a French Press - WAY better quality and ZERO waste - I compost the coffee grinds. :-)

Caitlin said...

Thanks Julie! I'm glad you like it...I'm pumped for the other topics I've got lined up. :)

And French Presses are awesome. My boyfriend swears by his! I need to just get on having a compost pille so I can use his grinds and all my food waste.

Rafey said...

It is really equally as user-friendly and uncomplicated for a single-use tumbler! Not spend as much plus waste material by way of the purchase of a large travelling bag within your popular cappuccino.

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