Betrayal of Drip Coffee... "More Environmentally Polluting than Capsule and Mix Coffee"

Research on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Cooking Processes

A study has found that mix coffee (instant coffee) causes the least environmental pollution among various types of coffee.

Mix coffee, which has been considered unhealthy due to the inclusion of sugar and creamer, was found to have the lowest greenhouse gas emissions.

According to foreign media such as the BBC, researchers from the University of Quebec in Canada measured the amount of greenhouse gases emitted when extracting 280㎖ of coffee, finding that filter coffee (drip coffee) emitted 172g, capsule coffee 127g, boiled coffee (French press) 125g, and instant coffee (mix coffee) 109g, in that order.

Capsule coffee, which uses single-use individual packaging, has been criticized for being environmentally unfriendly. However, the results showed that drip coffee using paper filters emits more greenhouse gases.

In experiments considering that people usually use about 20% more coffee and water than the appropriate amount when brewing, the emissions were 206g for filter coffee, 147g for boiled coffee, 130g for instant coffee, and 128g for capsule coffee.

Mix Coffee Used Only as Needed... "Avoid Wasting Coffee and Water"

[Image source=Pixabay]

Individually packaged instant coffee and capsule coffee generally use a fixed amount of coffee beans, whereas filter coffee and boiled coffee tend to waste more than the amount needed by consumers.

In fact, it is known that a significant amount of carbon is emitted from the time coffee is grown in producing countries until it reaches consuming countries.

Using chemical fertilizers in coffee cultivation also involves carbon emissions from producing those fertilizers. Many coffee-producing countries have reduced chemical fertilizer use, but this reportedly requires more labor.

The researchers noted that heating more water for filter coffee or boiled coffee results in higher greenhouse gas emissions.

They explained, "The most effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of coffee consumption is for consumers to avoid wasting coffee and water."

At the end of last year, coffee import value reached an all-time high.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

However, there has been considerable criticism since this study has not undergone verification by other experts.

One limitation pointed out was that the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions assumed all waste generated from making coffee, including capsule coffee waste, was landfilled.

Another weakness of the study was that it only measured greenhouse gases generated at the consumer level.

Maxwell Boykoff, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado, told the U.S. public radio station NPR, "It attracted attention as novel news," but also criticized, "Criticisms about how coffee is brewed or coffee consumption amounts miss the point of important environmental challenges."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.