Single-cup coffee brewers are on the rise in the US, with the National Coffee Association estimating that more than a tenth of households (12%) own just such a brewer. However, as the one-cup coffee pods are not easily recyclable, the coffee industry is looking for more sustainable options to save consumers from choosing between their morning cuppa, and environmental wellness.
The largest manufacturer of single-serve coffee pods is Keurig, a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. The company says that it is fully aware of the issues surrounding the recycling challenges of its pods, or K-cups, but when it conducted a life cycle analysis to learn more about the environmental impact of its products, Keurig found that ‘the disposal of a product’s packaging represents a fraction of the total environmental impact.’ The company asserts that it is continuously working to reduce its environmental footprint, which is significant due to the cultivation of coffee beans, use of brewing systems, and material used in the products’ packaging.
However, when it comes to recycling the K-Cup pack, Keurig blames the manufacturing for making it so difficult. According to the Keurig website, ‘The K-Cup pack is made up of three main elements: the cup itself, a filter and an aluminum foil top. The pack’s components prevent oxygen, light and moisture from degrading the coffee. Without the barrier the packaging materials provide, we could not maintain quality or freshness.’ The company has, however, introduced nested packaging for its K-Cup packs. This is one of a number of sustainability initiatives implemented to reduce Keurig’s environmental impact, which they estimate will reduce distribution-related greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20%, and decrease volume of packaging by 30%.
But is it enough? Another manufacturer of ground and whole bean single cup coffee brewer equipment – Cafection – claims that their single-serve coffee pod is more environmentally friendly, as it uses paper filters, which are biodegradable, and does not use plastic discs. Furthermore, Albe Zakes, global vice president of public relations at the recycling company TerraCycle, admits that the hybrid packaging of coffee pods makes it difficult for traditional recycling companies to handle, but he says this is why TerraCycle has worked with a variety of coffee manufacturers to create take-back programmes and handle the recycling of used pods.
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