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