This article is cross-posted with the Emerson staff newsletter people@Emerson.
You may have noticed that most offices at Emerson College have Keurig single-cup coffee machines. You may have also noticed that those machines create a lot of waste—those K-Cup bins fill up fast! Learn more below about the waste associated with single-cup disposable coffee pods and how we are mitigating the associated harm at Emerson.
K-Cup Pod Waste
The fact that K-Cups create a lot of waste is not news to most. An estimated 39,000 single-use coffee pods are produced each minute worldwide, about 29,000 of which end up in the landfill. In 2015, the inventor of the Keurig pod even admitted to a touch of regret about his innovation, given the waste involved. Hamburg, Germany, actually banned the use of single-use coffee pods in government buildings in 2016.
Back in 2014, the number of pods used over the course of the year was estimated to be enough to circle the planet at least 12 times! Since then, use has only increased, with sales reportedly increasing during the pandemic. The waste problem is almost certainly more dire than it was eight years ago.
K-Cup Pods Are Recyclable…with a Bit of Work
Since Keurig Green Mountain transitioned to making all of its pods from polypropylene (#5 plastic) in 2020, the pods are actually recyclable in most municipalities. Unfortunately, proper recycling of the pods requires removing the plastic from the aluminum and coffee—a separation process that is difficult and inconvenient for consumers.
What Can We Do?
Fortunately, Emerson sends our used pods to Keurig Green Mountain’s K-Cycle program (formerly Grounds to Grow On), where the components are separated. The aluminum and plastic are recycled and the coffee grounds are composted.
Keeping these materials out of the landfill is essential to the College’s ability to meet its waste diversion goals. Please follow the process below to ensure that the K-Cup pods collecting in your office’s bin stay out of the landfill.
Until September 2022: A designated member of your office should be responsible for alerting Facilities when your bin is full by submitting a work order. In your work order, please request that your bin be emptied and that the pods be brought to the Sustainability closet in the Colonial Building. Pods collected in the closet are regularly packaged and sent to K-Cycle.
If your bin is overflowing, you may not have a staff member assigned to monitor the pods. In that case, please reach out to Jen Lamy (sustainability@emerson.edu) to identify the correct point person for your office.
Starting in September 2022: Student Eco Ambassadors will assume responsibility for K-Cup pod recycling. At that point, you should no longer need to submit work orders for pickup. Please feel free, however, to be in touch with any questions or concerns about pod recycling. In addition, if you know of a student who might be interested in a paid position as an Eco Ambassador, please point them in the direction of the opportunity when it becomes live in August.
Questions? Suggestions? Looking for a replacement for your office’s Keurig machine? Contact Jen Lamy at sustainability@emerson.edu.