Lesson 4 Let It Be Green
A Better Future for Coffee Waste
The famous German musician ____ Sebastian Bach once said,
“Without my morning coffee, I’m just ____ a dried-up piece of goat.”
Today this sentiment is shared by many, with ____ shops springing up on almost every street corner,
and it is common to see city residents walking around with a cup of coffee in ____.
According to the International Coffee Organization (ICO), approximately 10 billion tons of coffee was consumed worldwide between 2020 and 2021, and Koreans made a signif icant contribution to this huge total, ____ 150,780 tons of coffee.
This means that every ____ adult drank an average of one cup of coffee every day throughout the year.
Clearly, for Koreans and other ____ citizens, coffee is not just a drink but a daily necessity.
The world’s widespread love of coffee comes at a substantial environmental cost, as the extraction process generates ____ waste.
Only 0.2 percent of a ____ bean is used to make coffee, with the remaining 99.8 percent disposed of as waste.
As a result, the vast ____ of coffee consumed worldwide produces millions of tons of coffee waste each year.
So, what ____ to all the waste from the coffee extraction process?
Spent ____ grounds (SCGs) are classified as general waste and sent to landfills.
There they break down, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas that is ____ 25 times more potent than CO2.
____ SCGs are incinerated instead of being buried, but this releases a lot of CO2: 338 kg per ton.
However, neither of these waste management options ____ into account the potential value of coffee grounds.
Although the grounds contain valuable organic compounds and ____, they are simply destroyed.
Fortunately, thanks to increased awareness of the coffee waste problem, companies, organizations, and governments around the world are working ____ to improve the environmental impact of the coffee industry through circular economy measures.
A ____ economy promotes the reuse of resources for as long as possible, reducing waste and environmental costs.
An example of a circular economy
An example of a circular economy in action occurs when a ____ of coffee shops collaborates with an organization to collect spent coffee grounds from its shops.
These grounds are processed to remove impurities and ____ out.
The resulting SCGs are sold to fertilizer companies, where they are transformed into organic ____.
This fertilizer is later sold ____ to the coffee shop chain.
The chain provides the fertilizer to local eco-friendly farmers, who then sell their ____ back to the chain.
The farm produce can be used to create various food items, such as rice chips and ____ sweet potatoes, which are sold in the chain’s coffee shops.
By repurposing coffee grounds in this manner, related businesses and local farmers ____ benefit both economically and environmentally.
Recycled coffee grounds ____ a wide range of uses, including coffee logs, fabrics for clothing and shoes, and reusable cups.
Coffee logs, for instance, generate more heat and burn for a longer time ____ wood.
____ made from coffee grounds absorbs sweat, dries quickly, and provides UV protection.
Reusable cups from coffee grounds not only have a visually appealing appearance but ____ preserve the taste of the coffee.
____ has shown a growing interest in recycling spent coffee grounds in recent years.
The government is ____ steps toward the creation of a sustainable recycling system in the coffee industry,
while companies are dedicating themselves to researching and developing new ____ for coffee waste.
By recycling materials such as coffee waste, individuals can ____ help protect the environment.
With continued efforts, the recycling of used coffee grounds is expected to increase, encouraging ____ sustainable methods of enjoying coffee for years to come.