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🌳 How many trees are cut down to make coffee?
Monday 7/13 - Sponsored by Larry's Coffee & Proton: a city's returnable coffee cups, small ways to green your coffee routine, and a reader's sunset of the day
Happy Monday
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
Robert Brault
In today’s issue, we’ll take a look at:
A city’s returnable coffee cups
Small ways to green your coffee routine
How many trees are cut down to make coffee?
Sunset of the day
Email without sacrificing your privacy
True or False?
Decaf coffee still contains a small amount of caffeine.
Scroll to the bottom for the answer.
How One Danish City Made Reusable Cups Stick
Grabbing coffee to go is one of those small daily rituals, and it usually comes with a cup you toss a few minutes later. One city in Denmark decided to rethink that, and the results are genuinely inspiring.
In Aarhus, cafes hand out reusable cups, and when you’re done, you drop the cup into a return machine around town and get a small refund back, about 75 cents. Adoption started slow, but after a city festival got everyone trying it, returns took off. In its first year, the program collected 735,000 cups and kept 14 tons of plastic out of the incinerator.
A few things helped it stick:
A small cash refund for every cup returned
45 local cafes offering the reusable option
A big festival that got the whole city on board
You don’t need a citywide machine to borrow the idea. Keeping one reusable cup by your door is a simple way to skip the throwaway habit on your own coffee runs.
Small Ways to Green Your Coffee Routine
Coffee is practically part of the American morning. More than 60 percent of us drink it daily, which adds up to a whole lot of cups. The good news is that making your routine a little greener is easier than you might think.
You don’t have to change everything at once. A few simple swaps do most of the work:
Bring your own cup, since many shops offer a small discount for it
Brew at home with a reusable filter instead of paper
Buy beans from a roaster that cares about its farmers and packaging
When you buy whole bags, look for ones that are compostable or recyclable, and pick a size you’ll actually finish so it stays fresh. One thing worth skipping is bamboo travel cups, which can leach chemicals into hot drinks. Pick one change this week, and let the rest follow from there.
100 Million Trees Are Cut Down Every Year for Coffee
Coffee is part of a daily routine for millions of people, but most of us rarely stop to think about where it came from or the impact it may have had before it reached our cup. Some estimates suggest that up to 100 million trees are cut down each year to make room for coffee farming, as forests are cleared for higher-yield sun-grown coffee. That can affect wildlife habitats, soil health, and the future of coffee growing itself.
Larry’s Coffee is built around a different idea: coffee can be both high quality and responsibly sourced. Larry’s focuses on small-batch coffee made with fair trade, organic beans and a sustainability-first mission. Instead of treating coffee like a commodity, they’re working toward a better daily cup that supports farmers, communities, and the planet.
Why coffee drinkers choose Larry’s:
Fair trade coffee that supports small farmers
Organic and shade-grown practices that are better for ecosystems
Small-batch roasting for fresher flavor
Bagged coffee, K-Cups, blends, roasts, and decaf so there’s something for every routine
A sustainability-first mission from a company working to make coffee better for people and the planet
Larry’s also supports organizations through their “For A Cause” selection, so your morning cup can help support work beyond the bag, such as animal rescues or national parks. It’s an easy swap for anyone who wants coffee that tastes good, fits their routine, and feels better to buy.
Thank you to Larry’s Coffee for sponsoring The Canopy.
Sunset of the Day
Reader Denise captured this dreamy scene while cruising along the Italian coast between Naples and Rome this past May. A lone island rises from the calm water, and the sky melts from soft blue into pink and gold as the day winds down.
In her words: “So peaceful.”
We couldn’t agree more. Thank you to Denise for sharing your sunset with us! Want to be featured next? Send us your best sunset photo.
Free email without sacrificing your privacy
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Thank you to Proton for sponsoring The Canopy.
Quick Picks
Reflections:
☕ True or False: True! Decaf isn’t completely caffeine free. A cup usually has just a few milligrams, far less than a regular cup, but not quite zero.
🌅 Sunset Of The Day: The sun can provide the most beautiful photography. That’s why we’re eager to see your favorite sunrise or sunset photos. Reply to this email with your best sun-based pictures for a chance to be featured!