Coffee with a conscience: Where to get your cup of sustainable coffee in South Africa
Recognising the immense damage that coffee production can have on the environment, many local and international coffee manufacturers have gone green and found ways to produce coffee sustainably.
A VAST majority of the population can’t start the day without a cup of joe, and as a result, the coffee industry is huge and thriving internationally. This also means that coffee is a product that is produced on a major scale, and there are by-products that come from the manufacturing process that are extremely harmful to the environment.
With a push to do something about climate change, consumers are demanding that brands go green and embrace sustainability.
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How coffee beans are produced
Coffee beans don’t come out of the ground as dark, roasted beans that are waiting to be ground up and brewed. They’re planted and, in 3-4 years, are cultivated into trees that produce cherry-like fruits. Within the fruits are the seeds we use for coffee.
Harvesters pick the cherries when they’re ripe, remove the pulp and dry the beans. After they’re dried, the beans go through a processing station to remove any husks or clinging plant skin. Then, they’re sorted by size and weight before getting exported as ‘green coffee’ – AKA unroasted coffee beans.
Once they’ve reached their destination, the pale beans are roasted into their characteristic dark colour. From here, the beans can be ground up and brewed into a delicious drink.
How coffee harms the environment
Coffee production alters rainforest ecosystems which negatively affects plant and animal species within those ecosystems. Worldwide, coffee production is leading to deforestation, soil erosion and water pollution.
One of the biggest contributors to pollution is the dumping of disposable coffee pods made from single-use plastic that recycling plants struggle to process due to their tiny size.
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Ways to consume coffee sustainably
If you use a pod coffee maker, consider using reusable coffee pod containers that are compatible with brands like Keurig and Nespresso. These can be refilled with coffee grounds of your choice and used just like any other coffee pod in your machine.
Nespresso also produces recyclable coffee pods which are made from aluminium. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and is one of the most widely recycled materials in the world. The benefit of using recycled aluminium is the amount of energy saved in the production of the aluminium – it is well suited to the circular economy.
Nicole Roos, business executive officer for Beverages at Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region, explained, “With every material we use to produce the capsules, we are committed to ensuring that none of our packaging ends up in a landfill or as litter, and we aim to minimise the impact of our packaging on the environment. This includes advocating for adequate recycling infrastructure for coffee capsules regardless of the material used. In addition, aluminium can be re-melted and reused infinitely, giving it a second life.”
Nespresso also has an open-door policy where customers can return their coffee pods to their nearest Nespresso store to be recycled.
“By using 80% recycled aluminium, we demonstrate the recyclability of aluminium and want to encourage our consumers to recycle their aluminium capsules. When you recycle the Starbucks® At Home by Nespresso® coffee capsules, you also help decrease the carbon footprint of your cup of coffee. This is a key aspect of the Nestlé ESAR RE initiative that focuses on three key pillars – RETHINK, REDUCE and REPURPOSE – to tackle sustainability issues,” said Roos.
Where to get a sustainable cup of coffee in South Africa
Bean There – Single-origin, unblended African coffee beans from one country and region, directly sourced from the farmers and roasted in small batches.
Where: Pick ‘n Pay, Spar, Wellness Warehouse and online – beanthere.co.za
Fabino Coffee – Certified organic and fairtrade, this is a series of Arabica beans and ground coffee from Central and South America, available only in Cape Town.
Where: Selected Spar stores: Continental Deli, Camps Bay; Giovanni’s, Green Point; Oakhurst Farmstall, Kenilworth; Organic Living, Constantia Village; Organic Zone, Lakeside.
Puro Coffee – is Miko Coffee’s fairtrade and organic range, the only fairtrade coffee that works with the World Land Trust, saving over 2 778 hectares so far.
Where: Contact the branches directly on mikoafrica.co.za. They sell mainly to the hospitality industry but are working both on an online store and on getting Puro coffee on shelves in supermarkets.
Terbodore Fairtrade Coffee – A 100% Arabica Tanzanian bean – they also produce an organic coffee.
Where: Some Pick ‘n Pay stores
Woolworths Espresso Range & Instant Coffee Range – The espresso is provided as beans, ground and decaf, while the instant coffee range is a South American blend or Papua New Guinea single-origin coffee.
Where: Woolworths stores nationwide
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