Lesson 4 Let It Be Green
A Better Future for Coffee Waste
The famous German musician Johann Sebastian Bach once ____
“Without my morning coffee, I’m ____ like a dried-up piece of goat.”
Today this sentiment is shared by many, with coffee shops springing ____ 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 2020 and 2021, ____ 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 ____ day throughout the year.
Clearly, for Koreans and other world citizens, coffee ____ not just a drink but a daily necessity.
The world’s widespread love of coffee comes at a substantial environmental ____ as the extraction process generates significant waste.
Only 0.2 percent of a coffee ____ is used to make coffee, with the 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 each ____
So, what happens to all ____ waste from the coffee extraction process?
Spent coffee grounds ____ are classified as general waste and sent to landfills.
____ they break down, releasing methane, a greenhouse gas that is approximately 25 times more potent than CO2.
Some SCGs are incinerated instead of being ____ but this releases a lot of CO2: 338 kg per ton.
However, neither of these waste management options takes into account the potential ____ of coffee grounds.
Although the ____ contain valuable 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 improve the environmental impact of the coffee industry through circular economy ____
A circular economy promotes the reuse of resources for as long as ____ reducing waste and environmental costs.
An example of a circular economy
An example of a circular economy in action occurs when a chain ____ coffee shops collaborates with an organization to collect spent coffee grounds from its shops.
These grounds are processed ____ remove impurities and dried out.
The resulting SCGs ____ sold to fertilizer companies, where they are transformed into organic fertilizer.
This fertilizer is later ____ back to the coffee shop chain.
The chain provides the fertilizer to local eco-friendly farmers, who then ____ 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 are ____ in the chain’s coffee shops.
By repurposing coffee grounds in this ____ related businesses and local farmers can benefit both economically and environmentally.
Recycled coffee grounds have a wide range ____ uses, including coffee logs, fabrics for clothing and shoes, and reusable cups.
Coffee logs, for instance, ____ more heat and burn for a longer time than wood.
Fabric made ____ coffee grounds absorbs sweat, dries quickly, and provides UV protection.
Reusable cups from coffee grounds not only have a visually appealing appearance but also preserve the taste of ____ coffee.
Korea has shown a growing interest in recycling spent coffee ____ 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 uses for ____ waste.
By ____ materials such as coffee waste, individuals can also help protect the environment.
With continued efforts, the ____ of used coffee grounds is expected to increase, encouraging more sustainable methods of enjoying coffee for years to come.