For a more extensive look at how to be green in the kitchen I have decided to explore one of the most important things in any kitchen. I am talking of course about caffeine. Many would not get through the day without a good caffeine fix whether it is coffee, tea, or something else. The majority of people consume some kind of food or drink which contains caffeine and more often than not it is coffee or tea. Whatever your drink in the morning is, there are some things you should know about coffee and tea.

Whether you buy coffee or tea, make sure that it is a fair trade product. If it is a fair trade product there will be some indication of this on the label. Fair trade is a social organization which sets standards on international labor and environmental protocol. The organization also monitors and enforces these standards and focuses on certain exports from developing countries. The fair trade organization is ensuring that people in developing countries are getting better wages and working conditions, and that there are steps being taken to protect the environment while these products are being produced and packaged. The more support they receive from people buying the fair trade labeled products, the better not only for our earth, but also for some of those who live on it. You can also try buying teas and coffees that are made locally or within your country to reduce the long distance shipping and the harm to the environment that comes along with that.

The decisions about how you actually make your coffee or tea are also important factors to think about when considering environmental impact. Make your coffee and tea at home, or if you do go to the coffee shop, use reusable coffee cups instead of the disposable ones. Disposable coffee cups are a huge waste and they are rarely recycled properly. To further avoid waste when it comes to coffee and tea try not to use paper coffee filters and tea bags.

There are many options for brewing your coffee or tea at home. For tea you can use tea infusers, or tea balls with loose tea leaves which results in a much richer and better developed taste than with ordinary tea bags. After you are done with the tea leaves you can mix them in with the dirt in your house plants as a natural fertilizer which is great for plants. With coffee you can use a French press or a percolator. French presses allow you to use any flavor of coffee bean you want, and make the coffee as strong as you would like. You can buy different sizes which is perfect if you only want small quantities. That way you won’t end up pouring any excess down the drain. You can also use your coffee grounds as a fantastic plant fertilizer when you are finished with them. For a great online store that specializes in green coffee and tea products check out http://www.greenbeanery.ca/bean/home.php

When it comes to the future of our environment we need to pay attention to all of the things we do to contribute to destroying it. This means not only that we should review our practices as a society, but also that we need to review our personal practices no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. If everyone just stopped for a minute to think about the little things we do every day that might contribute to pollution and climate change, we could find a way to make small changes in our lives that could potentially have a huge positive impact. The small things add up over time and make a big difference to the world around us.