Coffee vs Tea: Carbon Footprint Compared

Overview

For many of us, the choice between a morning cup of coffee or a steep of tea is a daily ritual. However, as we become more conscious of our environmental impact, many are asking: what is the coffee vs tea carbon footprint? While both beverages are plant-based, their journeys from farm to cup involve vastly different processing methods, transport weights, and brewing requirements.

In this comparison, we look at the lifecycle emissions of both drinks—from the nitrogen fertilizers used in the soil to the electricity used to boil your kettle. Understanding these differences is a simple way to green your morning routine without sacrificing your caffeine fix.

The Numbers

When comparing the carbon footprint of coffee versus tea, the most accurate way to measure is per standard serving (approximately 250ml or 8oz).

• Coffee: A standard cup of black coffee averages approximately 0.4 kg to 0.6 kg of CO2e. This includes the cultivation, roasting, and transport of the beans. If you add milk, particularly dairy, this number can spike to over 0.8 kg of CO2e for a latte.
• Tea: A standard cup of black or green tea (using one tea bag or equivalent loose leaf) averages only 0.03 kg to 0.05 kg of CO2e.

Put simply, a single cup of coffee can have a carbon footprint roughly 10 to 15 times higher than a cup of tea. If you drink three cups a day, switching to tea could save nearly 500 kg of CO2e per year—the equivalent of driving a petrol car for over 1,200 miles.

Why the Difference in Coffee vs Tea Carbon Footprint?

Several factors contribute to why coffee is significantly more carbon-intensive than tea.

1. Agricultural Intensity

Coffee plants (specifically Arabica) are often more resource-intensive. They require more water and often more fertilizer than tea bushes. Furthermore, coffee production is a major driver of deforestation in high-biodiversity regions like Vietnam, Brazil, and Colombia. When forests are cleared for coffee plantations, the "carbon debt" created is enormous.

2. Processing and Roasting

Tea leaves are generally picked and withered, rolled, and dried. While this requires energy, it is relatively straightforward. Coffee beans, however, must be de-pulped, fermented, washed (which uses significant water), dried, and then roasted at high temperatures. The roasting process is energy-intensive and usually powered by gas or electricity.

3. Transport Weight

To make a cup of tea, you use about 2 grams of tea leaves. To make a standard cup of coffee, you use between 7 and 15 grams of ground beans. Because we use more "raw material" per cup of coffee, the emissions associated with shipping that weight across the globe are significantly higher.

4. Preparation Habits

A hidden factor in the coffee vs tea carbon footprint is how we brew them. Coffee machines, especially espresso machines that stay on "standby" or pod machines that produce plastic waste, use more energy per cup. Tea is usually made by boiling a kettle. However, the biggest "hidden" emission in both is the addition of milk; dairy milk can account for up to 60-70% of a beverage's total footprint.

What You Can Do

If you aren't ready to give up your morning brew, there are several ways to lower your footprint:

• Skip the Dairy: Switching from cow’s milk to oat or soy milk can reduce the footprint of your latte by nearly 50%.
• Boil Only What You Need: Many people fill the kettle to the top to brew one cup of tea. This wastes a massive amount of energy. Only boiling the water you need can cut tea's footprint in half.
• Choose Shade-Grown Coffee: Look for "Bird Friendly" or "Rainforest Alliance" certifications. Shade-grown coffee preserves trees, which sequester carbon and protect biodiversity.
• Ditch the Pods: Single-use coffee pods are energy-intensive to manufacture and create unnecessary waste. Switch to a French press or pour-over for a lower-carb alternative.
• Compost the Grounds: Don't throw coffee grounds or tea bags (ensure they are plastic-free) in the bin. In a landfill, they produce methane; in a compost pile, they enrich the soil.

Want to see how your caffeine habit impacts the planet? Visit our calculator to estimate your personal carbon footprint today.