Green Your Breakfast: A Cleaner Cup of Coffee

Good morning! This week’s tips are about how to make your most important meal of the day more eco-friendly.

Tip #3: Choose your coffee wisely.

Are your eyes open yet? Then you’re probably craving a rich cup of joe. Before you reach for just any beans, think of the birds, the workers, the rainforests – you know, all the sensitive parts of the planet that get affected by the global coffee trade.

Worried that responsible java will taste bland or bitter? It doesn’t have to. To find delicious recommendations, check out Sierra magazine’s roundup of coffee experts praising their eco-friendly favorites. (Tea drinkers, click here.)

If you’re more likely to grab coffee on your way to work, keep in mind that 58 billion paper coffee cups are thrown away annually, so bring your own reusable cup. Some companies, including Starbucks and Peet’s, give you a 10-cent discount for doing so. Apply those savings to an organic, shade-grown menu item. It may be a bit more expensive, but your money goes toward keeping Earth awake.

Tell us: What’s your favorite coffee brand?