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