Exactly How to Create an Eco-Friendly Coffee Bar in Your Home, Business, or Office

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Before you purchase all the items you found on Pinterest for coffee bar ideas, take a few moments to flip through this post to hear about all the best eco friendly coffee bar ideas for your home, business or office! 

From choosing the most eco-friendly coffee brand, to finding a way to make your coffee bar fit the style of your space, there is a lot to consider! 

I promise there is a way to have an adorable and functional coffee bar that is slightly better for the environment and we are going to show you exactly how to do it! 

This post is all about the best eco-friendly coffee bar ideas.

an eco friendly coffee set up decorated with. unique coffee pot and a house plant

The Best Sustainable Coffee Bar Ideas For Your Space

1. Choose a Sustainable Coffee Brand and/or Sustainable Tea Brand

This tip could be a whole other blog post by itself so I won’t go super in-depth here. 

Here are some great certifications to look out for when trying to find the most sustainable coffee brand: 

  • Certified organic 
  • Fairtrade certified 
  • Sustainable packaging 
  • BPA free k cups 
  • Shade-grown coffee  
  • If you live in a place that grows coffee (Lucky you!) sourcing locally-grown organic coffee and supporting local farmers 

{RECOMMENDED POST: 9 Shocking Sustainable Alternatives to Products You Buy All the Time (These Swaps Will Save You Money!)}

2. Thrift Baskets For Organization

Instead of purchasing brand new baskets and bins, consider dropping by your local thrift store to see if you can find containers to save them from ending up in the landfill! 

There are basically always beautiful wicker and straw baskets in every shape and size at thrift stores. If you go at the right time you can even find items from Target (and other large box stores) that weren’t able to sell and they drop the extras at the thrift store! 

3. Choose a Sustainable Coffee Maker and Process

a pour over coffee with a tea kettle which is a great low waste coffee set up

There are so many different styles of making coffee and I won’t pretend to be an expert on them. 

Find a way to brew your morning cup in a way that works best for you! Recently I broke down and bought a Keurig after years of wrestling with (a messy) french press. I was delighted to find out that Keruig has made great strides to ensure that their k cup pods are recyclable as well! 

And of course, there are always coffee makers at the thrift store that can be cleaned up and given new life! 

4. DIY a Coffee Bar Table or Thrift One

An espresso machine with a basil plant on kitchen counter

Maybe clearing out an area on your counter works perfectly as your coffee bar station but if you are creating a coffee bar for your office or business you may want to find a dedicated table for your coffee bar setup. 

Pinterest has TONS of beautiful ideas for creating DIY coffee bar stations by using tables, dressers, floating shelves, bookshelves, bar carts, and mini fridges that act as the sturdy base for your coffee bar set up. 

Before purchasing new furniture, see if you have a piece that isn’t getting a lot of use and can be transformed into your new coffee bar station! 

{RECOMMENDED POST: 7 Sustainable Home Decor Ideas Guaranteed to Make Your Home the Coziest Oasis}

5. Use Reusable Mugs and Utensils Rather Than Single Use Products When Possible

It can be SO tempting to go out and buy adorable disposable coffee cups but opt for reusable ones instead! Most of the time it is unnecessary to have these products in our home when we can just keep reusing items that we already own or found secondhand. 

If your coffee bar set up is in a public space and you don’t have a convenient way to clean guests/customers cups, there are some eco friendly disposable cup and utensil options to choose from! 

Here are some great ones to check out: 

Compostable coffee cups

Compostable spoons

6. Decorate With Plants, Other Natural Elements, and Thrifted Decor

a reusable coffee set up that is organized and has a pink and white theme

This step is definitely not necessary but beautifying your coffee bar station can be fun and make it look more inviting! 

Just seeing natural greenery can do so much to benefit our mental health as well! 

It is ideal to choose second-hand decor when possible but it is also totally ok to not be perfect and just buy things that you love and know you will hold onto for a while! The goal in living more sustainably is to just be more mindful of our purchases and not overbuy which generally ends up leaving a bunch of items in the landfill.

7. Opt For Plant Based Creamers

Plant based milks including oat milk, almond milk and cashew milk

These are some of our absolute favorite plant-based creamers for creating a more eco-friendly coffee routine! 

It might seem silly to think that a spoonful of plant-based coffee creamer is actually going to help save the planet but every action you take really does add up and can inspire others as they stop by your coffee bar! 

If we missed any good ideas please let us know in the comments below and it can help others as they try to figure out how to design their own eco friendly coffee bar station! And if you are comfortable sharing, we would love to see photos of your set up! 

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you would like sustainability and wellness tips sent directly to your inbox! 

Stay well, 

Maggie 

This post was all about the best eco friendly coffee bar ideas. 

Other posts you may like: 

11 Genius Zero Waste Kitchen Organization Tips For a Peaceful Home

9 Best Sustainable Apartment Must Haves For Eco Friendly Living

10 Top Easy Tips For Sustainable Urban Living

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an iced coffee with a reusable straw

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  1. Pingback: Your Practical Guide to Creating an Eco-Friendly Coffee Routine  - Sustain Life

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