The environmental cost of your daily brew.
A single cup of coffee produces 60-150g of CO2 depending on brewing method and cup type. The lifecycle breaks down: farming/processing (40%), shipping (10%), brewing energy (30%), and packaging/cup (20%). Pod coffee systems (Keurig, Nespresso) are the worst offenders — the aluminum/plastic capsules add 50-100g CO2 each and create 576,000 tonnes of waste annually. Switching from disposable to reusable cups saves 100-400 cups per person per year. Milk adds significantly: a latte's footprint is 2-3× a black coffee due to dairy emissions. The most sustainable cup: manual brew (pour-over/French press) with a reusable mug and shade-grown, fair-trade beans. Cold brew concentrates use 60% less energy than hot brewing but require more beans. Globally, 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed daily.