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Coffee Controversies

May 6, 2014

My morning beverage of choice these days is tea. Although, I do still enjoy a cup of java now and again. My brewing method—the French Press—comes in different sizes; it’s simple and makes a great cup of coffee. No filters, made primarily of glass or metal, has replaceable parts, and the only “waste” are the grounds, which of course I compost.

However, as they say…the times they are a changin’. “Pods” are the growing coffee trend. To those of you unfamiliar with the “K-cup” or pod…it’s basically a small plastic cup and filter which is filled with coffee and sealed with an aluminum foil-type cover. The brewer places the pod in a special “single-cup brewing system,” (“Keurig” is the most common manufacturer in the US) and with the push of a button, the lid is pierced and a high-pressure jet of hot water flows through the pod. In less than a minute a single cup of coffee is brewed—a relatively good tasting cup of coffee actually.

Drip coffee, while still the most popular way to brew coffee, is facing stiff competition from the pod. Last year, US consumers spent more than $3.1 billion for K-cups, compared to $6 billion for roasted coffee and $2.5 billion in instant coffee. By 2018, it’s anticipated that consumers will spend almost as much on coffee pods as they do on bulk coffee.[1]

And, it’s not just coffee that comes in the “pod” these days. Keurig also has similar brewing systems and pods for tea and iced beverages, and is reportedly going to roll out a system for Campbell's soup later this year. Soup in a pod….doesn’t sound particularly appetizing. The company has also entered into an agreement with Coca-Cola to be the “exclusive provider” for Keurig’s new cold-beverage pod system.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ Keurig K-cups and Starbucks currently dominate the single cup brewing market. Nespresso, part of Swiss giant Nestlé, popular in Europe with its single-serving espresso machines is also increasing its influence in the US. The number of manufacturers of “k-cups” will soon be rapidly rising as patents for the single cup brewing system owned by Green Mountain expire.

Of course, the popularity of the pod boils down to convenience. Anyone who travels these days can attest to the handiness of being able to have a single serving cup of coffee at the B&B. The system eliminates the necessity of determining who cleans out the coffee pot around the office. And, it fits in with the time-crunched coffee drinking commuter. However, as with many conveniences there is a price to pay.

In 2013, Green Mountain produced 8.3 billion K-Cups—reportedly, according to Mother Jones, enough to circle around the equator 10.5 times.[2] About 5 percent of Green Mountain’s current cups are made out of recyclable plastic; the rest of the cups are made from composite plastic (#7). The plastic has limited recyclability. And, the aluminum lid must be separated from the cup/filter and the wet grounds emptied prior to recycling. The small size of the pod also hampers recyclability as the pods may end up in the residue at processing facilities. Nespresso's lid and pod is made entirely from aluminum, technically more recyclable, but may be contingent on acceptability in curbside programs.

If the nature of our growing love for pod coffee is convenience it can be assumed that consumers are not going to go to the trouble of separating the lid from the plastic pod, emptying the grounds, and washing the pod. Single-brewing cup manufacturers are reportedly looking into options, including compostable pods. Stay tuned…I think I’ll go get my French Press out now.

 By Athena Lee Bradley



[1] http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2022910303_singleservexml.html

[2] http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2014/03/coffee-k-cups-green-mountain-polystyrene-plastic

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