Editor’s Note: Our latest guest post comes from Raza of The Coffee Maker Store, a daily blog and e-commerce store about coffee, coffee makers, and coffee culture. Feel free to download the free “eco-friendly coffee tips” widget from there as well.

Most people know that after oil, coffee is the most highly traded commodity on the planet. The insatiable demand for the other “black gold” from coffee shops in America, to the swanky coffee houses in Europe is the impetus for massive deforestation projects by the leading global coffee producers seeking more agricultural land for their coffee plantations. As if that weren’t enough, one study said it takes up 200 liters of water to produce just a single cup of latte when you consider cultivating, harvesting, transporting, and producing the final cup of coffee. Lastly, there’s the heaps of paper and plastic products used with coffee (cups, filters, napkins, plastic tops, stirrers, etc.) that are discarded by the millions every single day.

So no doubt, coffee consumption takes a major toll on the environment. And since most people won’t just give up their coffee habit altogether (not that they should), here are a few relatively easy ways to reduce the toll of your coffee addiction on the environment.

Try to Drink Less

Since it takes so much water to make just one cup when you consider everything it takes to make, a good first step is to try to simply reduce how much coffee you drink per day.

Drink Local

To reduce the amount of carbon produced by shipping coffee halfway around the world, try buying coffee that has traveled the shortest distance to reach you. If you live in the North America, South American beans are an obvious first choice.

Go Organic

Organic coffee is grown without toxic chemicals, and is grown in such a way that protects sensitive ecosystems and the birds that live within them. Most of these toxic chemicals are produced in factories that spew toxins into the environment themselves, so you’re killing birds with one stone by going organic.

Avoid Corporate Coffee

Big coffee brands mass produce coffee, and do not think twice about cutting down trees to create large coffee plantations. Besides, the actual farmers who harvest the actual beans get very little in return for their work.

Opt For Fair Trade Coffee

If you’re going organic, and avoiding corporate coffee, buying fair trade coffee just makes sense. Rainforest Alliance and Transfair coffees not only ensure fair living wages for coffee farmers, they take into account environmental standards in their certification process.

Re-Use a Mug

This one is a no-brainer. But it’s easier if you invest in a really cool mug that you will want to use over and over again; eliminating the need for plastic or Styrofoam cups.

Eliminate the Coffee Stirrer

[ad#babeled-ad-medium-square]Rather than mixing sugar and cream with a plastic spoon or stirrer, try pouring them into an empty cup. Then gently pour your hot coffee on top, letting the heat naturally dissolve the sugar and mix the cream. It takes some practice. Alternatively, you could just use a regular spoon.

Use a Quality Filter

To help reduce the amount of paper you use when drinking coffee, it’s a good idea to get a reusable gold coffee filter; not only will it help the environment, but it will improve the taste of your coffee. If you still want to use paper filters, look for unbleached, biodegradable ones.

Compost The Coffee Grounds

If you’re a green thumb, you’ll love this tip (if you don’t already know it). The next time you brew a hot pot of coffee, rather than chucking out the used coffee grounds, toss them in your compost heap, or directly into your garden. The heavy nitrogen content in the coffee is a powerful fertilizer.

Keep Away Pesky Felines

Instead of using harsh chemicals in your garden to keep away unwanted pests like ants and neighborhood cats, sprinkle coffee grounds and orange peels in your garden. The nitrogen in the coffee burns ants’ legs and is better for the environment than using harmful chemicals. Cats don’t like the smell of coffee either.

There you have it, 10 easy ways to reduce the impact of coffee on the environment. What other creative uses for coffee can you think of?

Image Credit

Coffee Stain courtesy of Flickr user roger.karlsson published under the CC license.