As a working parent my coffee intake has increased over the last few years! When I first started drinking I just used instant coffee from a glass jar usually with a plastic lid. A couple of years ago a colleague gave me a coffee bag to try. After this there was no going back to tasteless instant coffee in a jar. The only problem with the coffee bags was the amount of plastic packaging as each bag was individually wrapped.
I decided to look into ground coffee and an AeroPress for brewing. I found this reduced the packaging but was often still in plastic. One alternative is from Percol, which can be found in many supermarkets, as they offer home compostable packaging for many of their products.
During Lockdown however, I discovered ‘Corby Coffee Roasting Co’. They offer freshly roasted coffee beans for delivery in kraft paper bags which are reusable and compostable. They offer a great range of coffees with clear descriptions and instructions for the best time to use and which type of brewing method is best. You can order 200g, 400g or 800g bags. I love the storage tin you can get to reuse, ensuring the smell of coffee doesn't fill the whole cupboard!
This change did mean I had to think about a way to grind the beans. I already had a spice grinder that was also capable of grinding coffee beans. I gave it a try however I found it quite slow and very messy! I was willing to deal with this but thankfully my parents had a burr style coffee grinder sitting in their garage going unused. As an actual coffee grinder this can cope with a larger quantity of coffee beans, is quicker and far less messy.
I have also recently discovered a number of online refill companies that sell coffee beans without plastic, including the new Loop. I am also hoping to check out a local zero waste refill store once I get back to town.
How do you make your coffee?