Effects of coffee roasting on the environment
– PROTECT THE ORIGIN –
Currently, the coffee industry tends to pay more and more attention to sustainable development, especially issues related to minimizing impact on the environment. However, sustainability efforts are mostly focused on production, primary processing, etc., forgetting that coffee roasting also creates similar environmental impacts. Join 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to find out how the coffee roasting process affects the environment, causes and measures to improve!
How does coffee roasting affect the environment?
Professionals and roaster manufacturers have been monitoring the emissions of coffee roasting processes for some time. After a long process of research, the results show that some gases will be released into the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and fine dust. Because roasting is the process of burning fuel, it will release some by-products. These by-products are largely carbon emissions, toxic gases, smoke or harmful particles. In addition, afterburning (exhaust gas combustion) during roasting also consumes large amounts of natural gas fuel or liquefied petroleum gas (propane) and produces volatile compounds and other gases. Without the use of filtration systems or restrictive measures, these emissions can pollute the air of the surrounding environment.
Especially in large quantities, the harmful gases and particles when roasting coffee can greatly contribute to the greenhouse effect. This happens when many roasters do not apply filtration and prevention measures, causing more and more emissions. This accumulation causes the amount of carbon to exceed safe levels, damaging the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere. The earth loses its barrier layer causing global warming, an ecological imbalance that directly affects human life.
Why does the coffee roasting process affect the environment?
It seems that all the problems of the coffee roasting process are related to emissions and energy consumption. But all emissions usually come from the conversion process when burning in the roaster. According to Ram Evgi from Coffee-Tech Engineering Environmental problems during coffee roasting are due to “structural design errors. Many coffee roasters today use machines originally designed in the mid-20th century. These machines are said to have been upgraded or even redesigned to meet new demands for quality, consistency, batch size and aesthetic quality. However, at that time, climate change and biodiversity are not a big concern, and emissions regulations will be much more relaxed. Therefore, these machines have almost no energy-saving or environmental impact-reduction functions. Most machines with batch capacity up to 100kg still use open-structure atmospheric drum housing. This means that the burner is operating in the same atmosphere as the room, self-priming (aspiration) of the pre-air, rather than in a closed structure with sub-atmospheric conditions. From there all the exhaust gases emitted from the burner will be fully spread into the roasting space.
The problem is more obvious when placing the scale in comparison with modern “greener” coffee roasters such as those used by Coffee-Tech Engineering. This type of roaster can isolate these emissions in the machine, protecting the environment around the roaster and giving the machine more time to decompose harmful gases. This not only effectively “cleans” the exhaust, but also helps to absorb thermal energy in the exhaust air to keep the machine hot. This improves energy efficiency for continuous roasting, making the roaster more sustainable.
Measures to minimize negative effects in the coffee roasting process
It is easy to see that the source of the problem is largely the function of the roaster. Therefore, the first measure that roasters think of is to improve it. Most traditional machines use an open-atmosphere drum shell (which releases exhaust gases directly into the environment) and do not have a combustion chamber. The roaster can upgrade the burner, replace many other parts to improve the exhaust gas treatment process and save the machine’s energy.
However, turning an old roaster into “green” is easier said than done because many functions are fixed in the original design, and difficult to repair. Therefore, the better solution is to invest in a new machine. In addition, the roaster is an important piece of equipment for any coffee roaster. Choosing to use a new, more “sustainable” coffee roaster is also a step in the right direction. Most of the current roasters have integrated exhaust gas treatment systems, saving energy, thereby helping roasters save costs and reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, today’s consumers favor sustainable brands. Therefore, businesses with commitments and actions that care about the environment and the community are more likely to receive the trust and love of customers and the public.
If you are more interested in this issue, let 43 Factory Coffee dig deeper through the following articles. Besides, if you are looking for a place to provide sustainable specialties to enjoy clean cups of coffee of international quality, please visit XLIII Coffee – A specialty coffee supplier developed from the forerunner 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to experience please!
Source: perfectdailygrind
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