Confronting my environmental problem has made me realize my New Englander-imposed obligatory Dunkin addiction is totally wrong. After I assessed my personal environmental footprint, I had my coffee epiphany. I gave up on buying coffee from the shops, but I did not give up on my caffeine addiction. I developed a more sustainable, satisfying morning routine by brewing my own coffee. I am saving the environment, saving money, and improving my coffee-centered ego by doing this.
Anyone who frequents coffee shops can see the waste generated by disposable coffee cups. These coffee cups are everywhere on campus at Syracuse University. It is hard to find campus trash cans without a coffee mug with a Starbucks logo or Dunkin’s logo. Lectures often include at least one student using a disposable cup to sip coffee.
There are plenty of disposable coffee cups at SUs campuses. Each cup is approximately 3.5 oz. 30 yearsTo degrade the environment.
Starbucks and Dunkin, two of the most prominent brands on campus, have waste reduction programs. Dunkin EliminatedIts 2020 use polystyrene foam cup for hot beverages Starbucks has MarketedRecyclable plastic cups with a strawless cover EngagementsBy 2050, to reduce waste by half
Both businesses accept reusable cups at their offices. It doesn’t seem like many people bring their reusable cups to campus cafes. Consumers still produce significant amounts of waste. It is possible to end the addiction to coffee served in plastic cups if both students and consumers are more aware of what they are drinking and how they consume it.
We are enticed by the convenience of coffee shops. Going to Dunkin’ at Schine can mean waiting in long lines and paying. There is much moreIt is more than the average at-home brew and you can leave your personal preferences to the hands of others.
It takes less time to make coffee at home than it does to buy coffee elsewhere. When you have the right equipment, it is not necessary to leave the comforts and convenience of your own home.
This process requires that you make simple, but thoughtful, choices. It is important to choose the right type of home coffee machine. The K-Cup system is used by Keurig coffee machines. This refers to single-use plastic coffee grounds holders. It is difficult to control the strength of coffee because the grounds are pre-packaged in the K-Cup. This can be avoided by searching for espresso machines that allow direct use of coffee grounds. Other important aspects of the brewing process include how the beans were ground and what type of coffee beans they are.
The sheer number of things that could go wrong when I first started home-brewing coffee was overwhelming. Through trial and error, I eventually brewed the perfect cup. If the brewing process has been done correctly, the coffee tastes much better than what you get at Dunkin’ or Starbucks.
It is time to stop our daily addiction to these cups. The waste problem in America could be significantly reduced if Americans were more conscious about how much they ingest. Students can reduce their environmental footprint and spend less by choosing home-brewed coffee. This will also increase their ability to identify what good coffee is.
Harrison Vogt is a junior environment sustainability communication and rhetorical studies double major. His column appears biweekly. You can reach him at [email protected]. You can follow him on Twitter at @VogtHarrison
Published on February 9, 2022 at 10.19 pm