A cup a day, fills a landfill all the way!
The inventor of Keurig’s K-cup, John Sylvan, has recently come out stating that he regrets ever making these single-use coffee pods. The full article from The Atlantic can be found here!
What the article ultimately states that K-Cups and Keurig machines are not only expensive to use, but it’s also completely and utterly harmful to the environment. The machines can cost from $70 to even over $100, but what generates the most profit is the amount of K-Cups that are needed to refill the machine. The coffee can cost roughly $50 per pound and if you have coffee multiple times a day, this can definitely add up over time. Keurig’s Green Mountain Coffee’s K-Cup shells are made of a hybrid blend of #7 composite plastic, an aluminum lid, and a paper filter that is filled with the grounded coffee. Due to the nature of it’s one-time use, many consumers tend to toss these little cups into the trash right after they’ve achieved their “good” ol’ cup of joe. And from trash, they go to landfills.
But what surprised me, and to be honest, disgusted me, was that Sylvan had offered various versions of the K-Cup that was more sustainable, but was turned down by Keurig. This is not only horrible publicity for the company, but for consumers who weren’t aware of this issue may be even considering boycotting the company for Keurig’s reaction to possible solutions to the damaging K-Cup.
For 
my Business Communications group project, we were asked to visit a company and interview them on their sustainability initiatives. Me being in the Sustainability Marketing class, I was especially excited to finally use some knowledge that I’ve attained from the readings and lectures. Our group decided to interview Doi Chaang Coffee Company who is known for the practices of “Beyond Fair Trade”. When I asked them about their version of the K-Cup, they showed us their product which didn’t include the environmentally-harming plastic cup. John A. Darch, CEO of Doi Chaang, explained that the cup was about 90% biodegradable with a plastic that contained an enzyme which would eat away at the plastic when it came into contact with water. I was extremely impressed with such innovation!
Now if only Keurig can catch on with what even small, local companies can consider. What are your thoughts on the Keurig-K-Cup situation?
References:
Oatman, M. (March 19, 2014) Your coffee pods’ dirty secrets. Mother Jones. Retrieved from http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2014/03/coffee-k-cups-green-mountain-polystyrene-plastic
Tuttle, B. (February 9 , 2012) Beans vs. single-serve cup: Just how much more does K-Cup coffee cost? TIME. Retrieved from http://business.time.com/2012/02/09/beans-vs-single-serve-cup-just-how-much-more-does-k-cup-coffee-cost/
Hey Katie!
Thank you for your great article! It never really crossed my mind what would happen to those coffee pods after use, but after reading your article it has really made me rethink my consumption of these one time use products. It almost feels like because we live in such a routine way we don’t always take time to look at the sheer amount of waste that we produce doing mundane activities like making coffee. One thing we really touch on in class is that a consumers value convenience, a fundamental reason why these coffee capsules are so popular and a fundamental aspect companies will need to look towards to make them more sustainable for the environment. I agree with you that market leaders, like Keurig and Nestle, should be able to utilize their innovative techniques to develop more cradle or grave or cradle to cradle approaches to their product. Anything ranging from using biodegradable materials to offering collection services to reuse their coffee capsules could be the starting point to making a more sustainable product.
Cheers,
Sarah Paw
Hi Katie,
I’m particularly interested in the fact that Sylvan found a new and more sustainable product. Immediately I’d think that costs have something to do with it, but without research that’s just a guess. It could equally be something to do with the quality of the cups or the effect they have on the coffee itself, but I can’t be certain.
I would love to hear more about the regulations that Keurig faces. It seems clear that Sylvan was unable to express the additional benefits associated with the new product, but relaxed regulations may have a huge effect in Keurig’s decision. What do you think? Should the government become involved?
Thanks!