100% Compostable Keurig Coffee Pods

There has been a lot of criticism over the Keurig coffee system. Although I do love it, I have felt guilty about the pollution it causes and the plastic waste they create. Especially true since I'll have three to four coffees a day. That's easily over a thousand a year!

Because of this, I bought a device, Recycle a Cup,  to help easily dissemble a K-cup, to send the inside for composting, and the outside cup for recycling. Only the lid needed to be sent to the dump. Some pods cut easily, some broke and the cutter would wear out or break.

There had to be something better and I found it. 100% compostable pods.

At the moment, there seems to be only Canadian companies who offer these. MacDonald's with Kraft Heinz and a Toronto company, Coffee Club, developed the pods. According to an article in Waste Today,  the pods are designed to compost in just five weeks. The pods are made from from plant-based materials, coffee bean skins and other biodegradable materials instead of plastic.

Other Canadian coffee producers are now also offering 100% compostable pods. Presidents Choice, a Loblaw subsidiary, offer a good variety of roasts and flavours. Muskoka Roastery Coffee has three roasts and a maple flavoured coffee in their line-up.

I admit, I don't do as much as I could to help the environment but I am getting better. This is one way I do it.

My New Recycle a Cup

I am trying to be more environmentally conscious. One problem I have is I really enjoy coffee and find my Keurig coffee maker so convenient to use. I go through two or three cups a day. Now that doesn't sound like much but 2 pods per day times 365 days equals 3.65 kg or almost 8 pounds. That's just for one person. Multiply that by how many millions!

So, what to do about the used pods?

I started cutting them with scissors, then scraping out the insides. It was messy and awkward. I was unsure what could be recycled besides the outside plastic cup and what could be composted. Turns out the inside bag and grounds are compostable and the lid and sides recyclable.

During this research, I discovered Recycle a cup. It looked easy to use so I ordered one.

It is easy to use. Just fit the cutter over the pod, push in the green tabs and twist.

It cuts the top right off and the cup is ready to recycle.

I know I sound like a commercial but I'm not being paid in any way for this. The five cups below were cut off in about thirty seconds. I then took scissors and cut off the sack and grounds, which I put in the compost. Then I rinsed the lids for recycling. The whole thing took just a couple of minutes.

A warning if you live in Canada as I do. The cups were held up for inspection at the border so I didn't get them for a little over two weeks. I'm glad I have them now.