Carbon Footprint of Different Coffee Brewing Methods

The aim of this work was to assess which coffee brewing method was the most environmentally friendly one among a 3-cup induction Moka pot, and two single-serving coffee machines. To this end, a streamlined Life Cycle Assessment including the use of the above coffee machines, production, transportation, and disposal of all packaging materials used, and disposal of spent coffee grounds was carried out in compliance with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050 standard method. The production of one 40-mL coffee cup with the induction Moka pot gave rise to as low as 8 g CO2e, these emissions being about 18% or 56% lower than those resulting from the use of a coffee capsule (10 g CO2e) or pod (18.5 g CO2e) coffee machine. These estimates might help the eco-conscious consumer to assess the environmental impact of his/her consumption habits.