WHO KNEW You Can Use Convenient Single Serving Coffee Brewers Without Adding Lots of Plastic to the Landfill?
I don’t even want to think about how many plastic K-Cups I’ve thrown into landfills since we bought a Keurig coffee machine several years ago. The problem was addressed some years back when some businesses - locally, the Subaru dealership in White River Junction - started accepting used coffee pods for recycling. And now there are other, even more earth-friendly options.
Keurig is now making coffee pods that consist of ground coffee wrapped in discs of plant-based mesh to allow water to go through. There’s no plastic involved at all. The whole pod - the mesh and the coffee grounds inside - can be composted.
There is one catch: the pods may not fit the model of coffee brewer you are using. They’re being designed for new models of brewers that, according to the Keurig website, will allow you to use the new pods and make more barista style beverages whenever you wish.
Sounds fun, but then what do you do with your old coffee maker that’s built almost entirely of - you guessed it - plastic?
There’s a way around that problem: metal, K-cup shaped pods that are the same size as the ubiquitous plastic ones. They are made of stainless steel pierced with tiny holes to allow water to seep through the grounds, and they have removable metal lids. They fit into older brewers just as easily as the plastic pods do. They’re reasonably priced and are available at many stores that carry kitchen products - including some in West Lebanon.
So go ahead. Buy whatever exotic blend of coffee (medium-fine grind) you prefer and brew yourself a cup, knowing that you can compost whatever grounds you’ve used without any non-biodegradable waste on the side.
A WHO KNEW? reader wrote to add information this information about recyclable coffee pods: https://sfbaycoffee.com/collections/onecup%e2%84%a2-pods
She said that she has been recycling these pods for years. They can be commercially composted. She uses Nordic Waste and the Lebanon Landfill.
Feel free to send your ideas and comments! We love hearing from readers! Thanks!