Buying coffee and filter papers

● Choose to drink natural ground coffee, as huge amounts of energy are consumed in the dehydration of instant and decaffeinated varieties.

● If you like decaffeinated coffee, choose one that has been decaffeinated using the water extraction or carbon dioxide methods. Some methods involve the use of chemical solvents such as methylene chloride, which has been linked to cancer in humans.

 

● Coffee is a heavily sprayed crop. Consider buying certified organic brands, or buy locally grown beans. Sub-tropical Australian plantations don’t use the fungicides needed for high-altitude plantings in other countries, and the coffee is naturally lower in caffeine.

 

Coffee filter papers
● Look for reusable unbleached cotton filters or disposable unbleached or oxygen-bleached paper filters. Chlorine-based bleach- ing leaves dioxin residues in the filters and also releases dioxins into the environment. Dioxins have been identified as carcinogens by the World Health Organisation.

● Consider buying a reusable gold mesh filter or change to plunger or espresso coffee-making methods.