How Nespresso & Keurig Spend Millions Trying To Solve Coffee Pod Waste | World Wide Waste
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- čas přidán 14. 05. 2024
- Each year, coffee companies like Keurig and Nespresso produce almost 50 billion single-serve coffee pods, which are notoriously difficult to recycle. Keurig even says so on its labels. Club Coffee in Canada uses a different approach, making a compostable K-Cup alternative, the PurPod100, out of coffee waste. We also asked a coffee expert: What's the most convenient way to brew with the least amount of waste?
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00:00 - 50 Billion Pod Problem
01:01 - Keurig's K-Cups
02:05 - Making A Compostable Coffee Pod
02:43 - Roasting Coffee Waste
02:53 - Plastic From Coffee Waste
04:40 - Keurig’s Recycling Issues
05:11 - The Waste Wiki Project
06:57 - Injection-Molding Coffee Plastic
07:50 - Making A Compostable Pod
08:48 - Industrial Composting
09:37 - Keurig's K-Rounds
09:52 - Nespresso's Aluminum Pods
10:47 - Nespresso's NYC Recycling
12:04 - Lance Hedrick's Coffee Solutions
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#Coffee #Nespresso #WorldWideWaste #BusinessInsider
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How Nespresso & Keurig Spend Millions Trying To Solve Coffee Pod Waste | World Wide Waste
Thanks for letting me be a part of this! For anyone with questions about anything I said, please don't hesitate! Happy to chat.
Why don't people just get espresso machines? There's like way less waste and it's so cool
@1337Dennis the entry price is intimidating. Grinder capable of espresso grind size and an espresso machine. Looking at a couple hundred bucks for a low entry set up. Then, the intimidation of learning. One of the goals in my channel is to help people find the equipment right for them and how to use it. Hopefully more will come to espresso!
Beautifully done sir!
I have a Keurig and I use a reusable metal K-cup. Only waste I have are the coffee grounds.
Lance and Dennis, Agreed that a reasonable espresso setup can cost hundreds or thousands however an Aeropress or a wacaco mini press make a very nice cup of coffee.
In the UK you can get forever reusable filters for aeropress and refillable stainless steel Nespresso pods. Surely the options are there if people could only be bothered.
“Company brags about solving a problem they created”
Bingo.
@MWDFrancis Sounds like what our governments do a lot of. Creating a problem so they can come in with a solution looking like the saviors when they planned it all from the beginning.
exactly
Yup. Never understood the need for those expensive capsules...
This should literally be the bare minimum. They should be legally obligated to do this.
What makes coffee pods CRAZY: a lot of waste is generated, huge amount of energy is wasted just so people can have a low quality coffee that is extremely expensive in a convenient way.
Your right about the waste except water, but thats it, regular coffee pots have electric heater after it brews it has to use more energy imo. I think pod coffee is alittle weak for my taste typically so i dont use them
Generalizing every pod cofee low quality debatable, but the rest of it that indeed True.
@@anon-le9fp Agreed. not every pod contains low quality coffee, but the result of even the best coffee in a pod is always lower then from the same fresh bean + good process, even with a simple/cheap setup, as pod machines are low-cost low-quality machines that don´t get consistent temperature, pressure etc. and a lot of times have hygiene issues...
Coffee marketing brought this new method I HATE because I had just bought a piped coffee expresso machine, 20 years ago.
Here is the result: an authentic threat to the environment.
What do I do with the coffee compost left? I used it to fertilize my flowers and plants.
Same concept as bottled water. It’s simply bout convenience
There is companies that have made and used biodegradable pods for like 10 years. Nespresso haven’t changed because they didn’t want to change the machines..
the video did not show real biodegradable pods
@@jerometellenbachk Yeah, and the secret white polymer is sus. I'm guessing it has harmful chems, similar to BPA or forever ones in it.
"The plastic-like polymer" ringlets thingy makes me wonder, too. It's like they used the regular stuff and mixed in some ground up organics so they can call it compostable. Like what's the point of making it so only a few companies can compost it? I'm betting Kurig has a large financial stake in them, if not owns them as subsidiaries. Very very sus.
Nestlé only cares about money.
and because these pod systems generate incredible volumes of profit for them, as they're the most expensive option for consumers, and the most profitable for nestle, as huge businesses tend to get locked into the ecosystem
wtf did they just call me a Gaylord?
@AdamAcceptable gaylord
🤣🤣
I came here to comment on this, who the hell named them that?!
Gaylords and bungholes. They're real things.
Do you weigh 1300 lb's? If so, yes.
I've been using the same re-useable pod that you simply fill with ground coffee, use and then empty the grounds. The only waste is the grounds which go into my compost. You can only make one cup at a time so an entire family can use the same one. I think it's been 7 years since I've had the same one. All of this is BS, Keurig and others won't advertise it because it doesn't make them money. I believe newer machines won't even work if it doesnt' "sense" or read a label from a licensed pod. They only care about money, not the environment.
Yeah, but to be fair, none of those, and I've tried a half dozen, truly work as well as the pods themselves. There's always spillage, or different strengths of coffee everytime. For me, at least.
@@jonny-b4954I bought a metal reusable K-Cup and I have had no leaks.
@@Hamsalad2 Hmm. Plastic ones are shit. Always extra water sitting on top when I open it once it's brewed. That and no matter how perfectly I measure it out, I can't get a consistent cup of coffee.
@@jonny-b4954 I had a plastic one and it leaked out the side.
Got a KRUPS machine called BARISTA that makes real espresso
It’s like the guy who stole something from you helping you look for it.
Pretty much sums up society.
Lazyness is the reason why people are using these pods.
I grind my own espresso, manually. 1 per day. I clean the mess in a minute. The grains are the only waste, they are put in a municipal compost bin.
I do the same on my EG1. Instead the waste goes into our veggie garden at 40 floors high on the balcony
I tried a Keurig. The equipment was crap. I now have a Breville that makes coffee from beans. No waste other than the used coffee grounds.
Have the same one. Has been sturdy and reliable.
I have one that uses plain coffee grounds in a paper baggie, completely compostable, can be done in your backyard
So it’s a compostable pod that can’t really be composted. Got it.
Exactly ... just like EV cars that require 10x the fossil fuel to produce the electricity than plain old petroleum based fuels produce ...
@@Socrates21stCentury We've figured out better ways to get electricity by now, but EVs of course still won't solve any problems if the plan is to increase rather than reduce the number of cars
@@lawabidingcitizen5153 Tell India and China ... or any of the developing countries across the world ... whoops
@@Socrates21stCentury I'm not saying it's uncommon to use fossil fuels, just not a requirement, but personal transport for a large chunk of its use is simply inefficient no matter what energy is used
@@lawabidingcitizen5153 Tell your boy Joe B. he doesn't care ... all electric no matter how ridiculous ...
They should have been legally obligated to have a completely functioning recycling plan before they produced the product. That should be the absolute bare minimum standard for every manufacturing company.
Sometimes, it's literally a trade secret what a product is made of. Therefore, no seller or buyer should be responsible for disposal. They literally don't have the ability to do it or the right to figure it out.
4:11 i am sorry, what was that 😂
Canadians being canadians
Crazy idea....but what if people just don't use pods...
Hahahaha ... next you'll be telling us not to dump garbage into the oceans and rivers ... 🙂
I use a reusable plastic one that I use all natural little filters for. Only waste is the filter and what coffee I put in it. I’ve literally used the one pod thing for like three years now and it’s great. They just don’t make money from them so they won’t talk about them here but you can but one in just about any grocery store.
Asking people to make the reasonable choice and prevent them from their mediocre coffee ? Are you nuts ???
If you have a better product, bring it to market and rake in the money. Otherwise, you are just pointlessly pontificating.
@@libertarian4323 Bringing a product to market and raking in the money is why they are in this mess ... that is the point ...
I stopped using any coffee machines that used pods now I only use a pour over. the paper filter and coffee go into compost and the coffee is far superior to the coffee in those pods.
Try getting mokka
Virtue signal received.
I knew it was bad but OMG!!! I've used a French press for 15+ years. It cost about $10, back when I purchased it. With nothing to throw away, I can afford the best coffee in town. It's every bit as quick and easy as a bulky machine.
"It's every bit as quick and easy as a bulky machine."
No, it's not. If it was, everyone would do it.
@@libertarian4323 Lol youre not the most educated out there hmm?!
@@knuterthal5131 I have a BS in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytech, a MEng in Environmental Engineering from MIT, and an MBA from Boston University. I'm a professional Environmental engineer. So no, I'm not the most educated. Even my wife has more degrees than I do. But I'm more than educated enough to know that a French Press is significantly more work and slower than popping a K-cup into a Keurig machine and punching a button.
Do you have a counter point?
@@libertarian4323 Pressing a button on an Electric Kettle and pouring hot water over the Coffee is so much more work? I think its more about advertising and having the "newest shit", like in many other tech businesses
First they convert from non polluting coffeefilters to plastic cups. And now they want to convert back to be more sustainable and want the credits for trying to be green...🤔 I'll just take my regular filter coffee, thanks.
Amazing. They created problem and now try to solve it. WOW
Espresso machines that grind beans and make coffee automatically have been around for years. The only waste produced is coffee grounds, and a single bag per kg of coffee. Why is it seemingly such a wild idea that home coffee machines don't need pods?
In the same way PLA for 3d printers is "100% recyclable" yet not a single facility in my state accepts it for recycling...
yeah It's kinda common sense - if it behaves like a plastic, holds together during transportation .. it will probably take a looong time to dissolve in a nature. I already switched to PET in my 3d printers
@@ph4nt0mcz130 unfortunately this is not accepted all the same at my local recycling. "If a plastic item has no number identification (#1 - #7),
can it still be recycled? No, it should go in with household
trash."
Why don’t people just drink regular brewed coffee? Just brew or two cups or whatever amount you drink. smh
define "regular brewed coffee"? There are a myriad ways to brew coffee
1) People are lazy as shit 2) Peer pressure/ advertising. "Hey, come look at this cool new thing Steve has!" "That's so cool, i better get one too!"
Bring back glass mayo and glass ketchup bottles pls.
I hate all this plastic bullshit jars they brought out I even wrote letters asking for glass to be brought back
Why don't people ride a bicycle to work or wash their laundry by beating it over rocks down by the river? smh. And what's with them fancy emails? Back in my day, we wrote letters with a stubby pencil and sent it snail mail- and that's the way we liked it! smh. Next thing you know, they'll want electricity and plumbing IN THE HOUSE! smh.
“An idea that percolated in my mind” had me burst out in laughter. My kind of humor.
And absolutely love me some French press for the lack of waste! Though for ease of cleaning I prefer an Aeropress with a metal screen to replace the paper filters, super convenient, too!
I've solved this issue personally by just using a reusable pod, where I get grinded coffee beans by the can, and fill up a refillable/strainer-like pod and clean it after every use. Been using it for years at this point. Love my Cuisinart Keurig SS-700 so much, even if it is now 10 YEARS OLD! 😍🥰
Why dont they just use tea bag mesh?
Kuerig used to include a reusable Kcup with every machine. Now you have to buy separately. We only use reusable cups with fresh ground coffee. And the grounds go in our compost.
Why did they have to do the aluminum line containers like that
To prevent moisture from getting through the container.
I think the title could be how espresso and keuring sped a small part of their budget to solve the natural damage they produce
Lmao at the CEO saying the change was about the customers guilt, admitting he ultimately doesnt give a shit about the waste.
Solving a problem they started? Hahaha! Thats rich!
Mailing garbage in................ How the f is that even a thing to do. A simple REUSABLE container is all that is needed.. But up selling coffee in a tiny cup to people that think its quicker or better is the REAL problem.
Live in Costa Rica. I seen one pod machine. We use a cotton bag that is handing from a wire or wood from just wash the bag when you are done. Same idea with the French press.
More videos advising choices like this would be amazing. Thank you.
Also, pod coffee tastes weak. French press tastes way better. Makes coffee as strong as you want with metal screen. Just scoop out the grounds with a spoon, compost or toss 'em. Then a quick rinse of the press pot. Done!!
My French Press, and my AeroPress (what I use when I'm camping, or on a long bike ride), can both be used as "single served coffee pods" with no waste.
Create the problem, then create the solution ..
What a good logic
It's as if their entire business model hinders on the existence of pods. They made the problem, they need to solve it.
Its this little changes that make the difference, but more people need to adopt the way of recycling!
I solved coffee pod waste many many years ago.
fresh roasted beans, grind them before brewing (atmospheric or pressurized; take yer pick of gear), and after that, I end up with…. Far more variety, better quality coffee, for less money.
imagine that!
There are home compostable Nespresso-compatible pods already available in Europe. In Austria, they are made by the coffee company Julius Meinl, but there are others.
How energy efficient is shipping used pods for recycling, counting all the steps?
A friend of mine has a reusable kcup pod. You put your grinds in it, put in the kcup slot in you machine, use it. When done, you empty used grounds out and rinse the kcup. Reuse it
As someone without the best coffee palette instant coffee is great. It’s not going to be as good as the fanciest brew but it’s good enough. If someone’s considering giving instant a try I want to mention that unlike coco mix it generally melts easily in cold water. So it’s a really good option if you are more of an iced coffee kind of person.
I switched to a Moccamaster Cup One machine after seeing the cost and waste with the Nespresso machine. No need to support Nestle when I can buy locally roasted coffee and use just a paper filter.
I use bosch tassimo. They dont have only coffee but hot chocolate and tea in pods, very popular in Europe
I am always amazed by the amount of trash laziness produces.
Wow! I am now rethinking purchasing a Keurig machine for my home 😮
Any guesses on the secret plastic mixture? I feel like the easy option is a chaff-fill (fiber fill I suppose) PLA - so the ingredients I guess is pigment and PLA pellets, similar to coffee fill and algae fill PLA. Probably a lot cheaper than using non-oilen (and the conditions needed to compost lines up similar to PLA). At first I was wondering if they were making PLA from the chaff instead of corn but that might be hard.
It's way I either brew it traditional pot, French press or just instant coffee when I m on the run 😅
They speak abou the biodegradable coffepod but not about the plastic packaging that it comes in?!
I have an old keurg they have the gray adapter that use ground coffee, but that gets worn out, so now I have reusable k cups.
cant believe that instant coffee wins in that category.
I’ve used the same reusable pod with all natural filters for more than three years now. Just use that. They’re pretty cheap and sold in most grocery stores.
A recyclable mail in program using petroleum vehicles to transport them to a center, does anyone see the irony here?
just bann the fking one-time use plastic trash ^^ paper filters and expresso are fine for 50+ years
Humans were fine with no automobiles or computers for millenia! Ban them!
Are the Cafe Royal CoffeeB Balls are a good alternative?
What about the reusable cups for Keurig when you put your own coffee in it and then compost the grounds and rinse and repeat?
my $10 target coffee maker from 2018 does not require a paper filter.
I still use a paper filter because the fine metal mesh filter still doesn't filter good enough. I can still taste a very very light sandiness.
@@elihernandez330 before I got the coffee maker, I put grounds in the cup with ice water and drank that without filtering(cold brew). I switched to teabags now
We saw the environmental affect from day one when keurig is marketed and how come those companies with million dollars and all engineers couldn’t see that, how come government institutions didn’t regulate them from the beginning.
Nice. One video to tank the stock of Keurig. Sustainable coffee should be a must. From end to end. Great video. Thanks!!
I use re-usable inserts for Keurig machine, and enjoy many different Grinds, never used Kcups in Keurig Machine
Industrial Composting basically means that it isn't recyclable. How would you sort that out? You can't put it in the BIO trash because they don't normally do adequate (for bioplastic) industrial composting and the normal trash can't sort it out.
Did you ever hear of "coffee b"? It’s a company from switzerland, that produces balls of pressed coffee without any plastics or metal (or any other material other than coffee). They gained a a lot of popularity in the last year in germany through cooperations and massive advertisement with local grocery stores
The issue is the coffee that produce from these pods are not as good due to the pressure required to extract coffee so it did not latched on.
Reusable pods is one way to help, but nespresso go out of their way to prevent us from using these reusable pods.
Avoid any pods machine if you want to reduce waste!
This story is stupid in so many ways.
A tiny amount of research and logical thinking will tell you why.
This is pure corporate fig-leafing - a big "story" completely fed to business insider and repeated without any consideration.
Hmm, guess I'm buying a French Press. Good video.
Say NO to polluting products
So "say no" to essentially ALL products? Okay...
@@libertarian4323 yeah thats the proof...
@@knuterthal5131 There isn't a product on the market that doesn't create pollution in it's production and distribution. Not one. So ALL are "polluting products."
@@libertarian4323 Theres things to put easier back in the natural circle then others, dont you think? I.E. Some coffee crumbs with water vs a plastic/aluminium/coffee conglomerate. The degree of pollution makes the difference obv.
@@knuterthal5131 Some are worse than others, but they are all harmful. Probably the least environmentally damaging choice is to organically grow your own coffee, roast the beans with concentrated sunlight (a giant magnifying glass), grind the beans it by hand (a good old fashioned mortar and pestle!), and sun brew it. But even then, there are environmental costs. It's probably best not to drink coffee at all. Or eat anything you haven't organically grown yourself. Also, no purchasing any products produced at home, using only hand powered tools. We shall achieve UTOPIA! I'm off to chip flint into stone arrows so I can hunt this evening's protein!
On second thought, screw that, I'm going to make a hazelnut coffee Kcup and enjoy the environmentally harmful caffeine buzz. I'll have my wife pick up a couple of burgers for dinner on her way home.
I swear by my AeroPress. It does use paper filters but they are tiny in comparison to traditional coffee filters. I could get a metal screen filter for it and probably will at some point, but the main thing for me is it makes a high quality cup of coffee. Much better than most single use options I've tried.
Just because I’m geeky I have a number of brewers, but the aeropress holds a very special place. It’s awesome.
And yes, I would recommend the metal screen, as it does qualitatively produce a different cup than the paper filters. not necessarily better, just different; and IMO it’s worth it for adding even further the AP’s already nice versatility.
I wonder why companies haven't come out with a mini-version of a custom grind machine. We used to have one at work. You'd just pour beans. And, it would self grind. (Also, had milk options which seems a bit complex for home use.)
Cometeer is the best way to make coffee and has such a delicious and unique taste! I only wish I had discovered it sooner! It’s a great way and perfect for any minimalist, as well.
As someone who used to work for the company Nespresso this is extremely accurate. 😊
What happens to all the plastic bags that people put nespresso pods in?
Ive always used instant coffee especially bustelo i cant stand waiting for my coffee during the summer i drink mine warm winter is when i make it hot
Jeez, just use old fashioned paper fillters. Biodegradable from the get go.
Use an older fashioned percolator and no paper filters! I just out virtue signaled you!
My friend has one the Nespresso machines
She does the mail option since the recycling where we live is crap.
It's funny cause she's all about loose leaf tea.
Being coffee person I am I love using an expresso machine. I extract the flavors at the high temps you don't get from standard coffee brewers and the coffee grounds I compost. Really no waste except the bag the coffee beans come in. I don't need coffee filters either, Use premium grounder to grind a fine as I can get it most of the time. After all coffee is all about the coffee bean, the ground, the water, and the heat you brew it at. premium cup of coffee every time!
I just use a reusable silicon pod and my own coffee beans. I prepare them all before hand and put them in a sealed Ziploc bag with an air absorber. What waste issue?
I bought about 7 reusable pods off Amazon and at the end of the week, I wash them and refill them. Good thing I only drink coffee before work lol
So I'm lazy and have little time in the mornings. I first had a cheap coffe machine that was able to hold 4 cups - the problem is you HAVE to clean it both daily and a deep clean monthly or bacteria will grow in that thing like a petri dish. I tried the french press (didn't buy it though a friend lent it to me while he was on vacation) and honestly it was more or less convenient - but still you had to at least wash it before using it again.
So I caved in for the pods, takes like 10 seconds to brew coffee and I only clean the water deposit every week or so ... I do the descaling thing every month or two but still very convenient on a day to day basis. The problem is the pods are getting more and more expensive every day ... and this documentary clearly opened my eyes to the intricacies of recycling them ( I usually save them in a separate bag and throw them at local recycling containers specifically for the type of pod).
What I will be trying next is reusable pods, a cousin bought them for the Keurig and they seem to work well (mine's a Dolce Gusto) I know they are slightly less convenient having to wash them but I feel that as long as I throw the used coffee I can just throw them in the sink with some water and wash them later.
Ahhh, Canada 🇨🇦 - I love you❤
I empty the used coffee from my Nespresso and put it in my garden (great compost) then recycle the aluminum pod at a local collection facility. No, it’s not a messy or lots of work process and the 2000 + landfills give off methane regardless of more coffee chaff. Put the coffee grounds into your garden soil, or someone who gardens, instead and have better soil. Plastic just sucks regardless.
Can they not make a coffee bag similar to a tea bag?
That's probably patented by Senseo
Are fully automatic coffee machines (like Jura, Siemens, Nivona, Delonghi etc.) not a thing in America? We in Germany are used to this. So there is no plastic/aluminium waste from pods etc.
Nespresso wasn't the first brewing product on the Swiss market. It started with Tassimo, a far more complete brewing system that switched from a boiler to a flow heater when manufacturing was handed to Bosch - I had both the old and the new variant. Nespresso came years later. And no, Tassimo's capsules didn't recycle well in those days.. Meanwhile, I now have a machine that takes beans. The only waste there is the water filter (still looking for a solution for that).
If you want the convenience of a pod coffee but with more choice get a bean to cup. Yeah they cost more up front but you pay about a quarter as much per coffee as you do with a pod, the only wase is coffee grounds and the the tase is much better.
I picked up an ex display model Jura when I was a student for about twice the price of a Nesspresso machine, have used it with no issues for the last 12 years and have probably saved thousands.
I have a keurig and use it for hot water for instant coffee, and teas.
Just a note.
You can get specialty instant coffee from various companies that is absolutely delicious. Its a lot more expensive than standard supermarket instant coffee but it is waaayyy nicer.
Every time that barrister Lance comes on thr screen I try skipping the add 😂😅
I use my Keurig with a reusable steel pod and fill it with fresh ground coffee.
The trick for the reusable steel pods is using a disposable paper filter, some even come with a (paper) lid so you just throw them away similar to a pod, but it's just paper and coffee.
If you use a reusable steel pod they could sell you just the paper coffee pad and it would be exactly as convenient as a regular pod
No need for a new machine, just a reusable steel pod.
Get one of those kcup adapter gizmos that let you use your own coffee instead of a pod. No waste.
About 8 years ago I won two coffee machines that use pods, the catch I found was that they would ring me every 6 weeks so I could order their pods as I could not buy pods off the shelf. I have been using one still using the same pods that came with the machine not eve opened the other one yet. As it came with 500 pods each machine. I have been looking for a reusable pod for either of them so far all the ones I have bought don’t work but that’s okay I still have plenty of coffee between both machines.
I drink Maccona coffee have done for over 30 years, it’s expensive as instant coffee goes, but the jar is reusable looks nice and all my pantry goods use the jars once empty. If I have no use for the jars I send them on to the op-shop so someone else can use the jars. I only buy the coffee when it’s on sale. As it’s half the price then so I get 2 jars for the price of one. I also have a French press as well as an Italian stove top coffee brewing kettle. Depending on my mode will dictate how I drink my coffee at that time.
So far I have not found a brand of coffee that tops Maccona for quality and taste in different strengths and flavours.
I hope we can eliminate plastic and find a suitable replacement that is actually eco-friendly and biodegradable.
''the problem we're solving is their guilt from the packaging''.
I guess I would kind of hope the decision would be due to the people who created the problem in the first place, feeling guilt lol.
You know there exist instant coffee right? Barely any waste. Recyclable aluminum jar.
Why do I have to choose one of the coffee mug solutions? Whether plastic, aluminum or organic. You can choose a machine with an automatic grinder for making coffee beans, which does not have replaceable filters or cups. He also brews great coffee, like a barista in a cafe.
Well I’ll always be a Nespresso person, but I always recycle them. And they’re also coming out with compostable capsules as well.
Espresso Snob/Former Nespresso Addict here: My Starbucks Premium Instant is A+++ quality at 1 tsp per cup from a recyclable $10 mini tin that lasts a month with ZERO waste not even grounds... yeah I'm good.
I currently use reusable pods with mini coffee filters that are built for it, so it’s easier to clean out the coffee grounds from my reusable pods. It’s cheaper to buy a big bag of ground coffee or coffee beans to ground fresh coffee, than it is to buy single serve pods. I can spend $5-7 on a bag of coffee that’ll stretch for like 5-6 months vs $7-12 on 12-15 pods, that’ll last me less than 2wks, that is a waste of money.
How about mold & mycotoxins instead?
Saltspring coffee started to sell their coffee in cardboard containers was really good but seen they just went back to plastic. Hopefully other companies can set an example
The compostable pods are great and actually work, better than the reusable cups because no cleaning.
If you want the ease of pods but no waste try pad machines like a Senseo. The pads are just coffee and filter paper and can be composted even in my home compost without residues.
Ok you can't really get espresso like a Nespresso machine since the pressure is lower but all supermarket in Germany carry several house brands and every large coffee manufacturer hat its own pads.
Although I don't know if you can get the machine and pads in the USA.
Nothing beats a French press, an arabica kettle or a pour over. The only waste that comes out of these is the ground coffee.
I used tassimo and keurig for years. I stopped 2 years ago for environmental reasons. I don't plan on going back even if they become recyclable. Because most will still end up in the land fill.