Campus-Wide K-Cup Recycling Program Launches

Fact: In 2014, enough K-Cups were sold that if placed end to end, they could circle the globe 10.5 times. Currently, almost all of them end up in landfills.  

Keurig has launched a recycling program in New England that allows users to mail back used K-Cups to its partner recycling plant, Covanta, in Haverhill, MA. Covanta composts used coffee grounds and incinerates the cups to generate electricity. Keurig is currently working on a fully recyclable K-Cup expected to reach the market by 2020 (the current cups are made from various layers of plastic that are too difficult to separate and therefore cannot be recycled).

In an effort to reduce the College’s waste, all campus departments are invited to participate in Emerson’s K-Cup Recycling Program. Participants will receive a small creatively marked recycling bin that will be placed near their Keurig machine, and student EcoReps will come by either weekly or biweekly to recover the used K-Cups.

The recycling service will cost departments $1–$10 per month depending on their frequency of K-Cup use (specified by shipping weight). To sign up for the program, contact Amy Elvidge, the sustainability coordinator.