What we drink accounts for almost a quarter of the total climate impact of food. During these tropical days it makes a difference to the climate which drink you use to quench your thirst. Tap water gets the best score, while a latte is the steak among the drinks due to the large amount of milk it contains. This is apparent from research by the information organization Milieu Centraal. You also achieve climate gains by not wasting anything, choosing the right packaging and limiting your dairy to the guidelines of the Wheel of Five.
Climate tips for drinks
Tap water is the most climate-friendly thirst quencher. On average, every Dutch person drinks more than 2 glasses of water a day. After water, we drink the most coffee at home. The climate impact of coffee strongly depends on whether you brew it to size and how much milk you put in it. If you drink your coffee black, the climate score is relatively low. If you always drink cappuccino, the impact of your cup of coffee is easily four times higher.
Differences per drink
With coffee and tea, the climate impact increases mainly due to the energy consumption of heating the water, especially if you brew too much. Dairy releases many greenhouse gases during livestock farming and the production of animal feed. We also waste a quarter of all the dairy we buy. For wine, beer, juice and soft drinks, the packaging can contribute a lot to the total climate score. In the case of juice and wine, the cultivation of the raw materials is also important. This also applies to beer:a lager scores three times as good as special beer, because it requires less malt.
Tap water versus bottled water
Would you like to drink more climate-friendly? Then you can more often replace a drink with tap water. If every Dutch person exchanges 2 glasses of soft drink for tap water every week, we will save as much CO2 per year as planting a new forest the size of 5,000 football fields. Tap water is 100 times more climate-friendly than bottled water from a 1.5 liter bottle, and even 200 times better than a half liter bottle. Fill a refillable bottle at home and on the go.
In a general sense you can pay attention to the following:
• Thirst? Drink tap water.
• Buy, brew and drink customized.
• Do not drink more dairy than is recommended in the Nutrition Center's Wheel of Five
(dairy in the coffee also counts). Dairy has a relatively high climate impact.
• From a health point of view, it is recommended to drink as little beer, wine, juice and soft drinks as possible.
• If the drink you want to consume is for sale in returnable packaging, buy it then.
• Deliver packaging separately; check the waste separation guide.
