Did you know that approximately 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day? Now assuming that half of those cups were made using paper filters (in 8-cup batches) that is still approximately 140,625,000 paper filters being used all in one day (coffeesock). *Mind Blown* The cost of coffee filters continues to empty our wallets, kill trees, and add trash to the landfills. With all that being said, why not just ditch them?
By using alternative brewing methods that have no need for filters, such as french presses and cold brew systems, you can save money and also reduce your carbon footprint. We took a deeper dive into how using our filter free Cold Brew 'N' Serv™ System can save you hundreds of dollars in the next couple of years.
While there are multiple Cold Brew Systems now available, many still require filters. However, our Cold Brew 'N' Serv™ System does not, due to the built in filter screens (watch the video). We looked at how using our cold brew system can help you achieve that quality coffee taste, save you money, and limit the amount of used coffee filters in the trash. We looked at Commercial Cold Brew Paper Filters priced at $75.95 for a 50-pack, so approximately $1.52 per filter. Assuming that you are brewing over 5 gallons of cold brew concentrate a week, you will need at least two filters. We broke down the price in the chart below. The total cost of our Cold Brew 'N' Serv™ System is less than the cost of filters needed each year.
Now that we learned that you are spending approximately $159.12 a year on filters (if you're only brewing 5 gallons a week), how do filters also effect the environment?
On the bright side, most paper coffee filters actually biodegrade fairly quickly, however this is only true depending on how you dispose of them. If you're composting wet and used coffee filters, they will most likely biodegrade quickly. On the contrary, if they are dry or thrown away in the trash with other dry materials, they will have trouble biodegrading and therefore be thrown into a landfill. Wet and used filters are not advised for recycling (thespruce). It's important to double check the care and handling instructions for your paper products to make sure they are compostable and/or recyclable.
So, the final consensus– you can actually make a full return on your investment from using our Cold Brew 'N' Serv™ System just by eliminating the need for filters. Plus you're saving the environment one paper filter at a time. Are you ready to take the dive into cold brew?