If you're like many millions of Americans, you start every day with a cup of hot (or iced) coffee.
It is a ritual that many of us look forward to. Some even joke that they look forward to their cup of coffee the next morning when they go to bed each night.
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And while many of us might venture out for a cup of coffee every morning, whether at Starbucks (SEX) Dunkin or a specialty store, most of us who work from home probably do so from the comfort of our kitchen.
The arrival of home coffee makers, such as Keurig appliances (KDP) and Nespresso, make it easy to prepare almost anything, from an eight-ounce cup of black coffee to a professional coffee shop-quality vanilla espresso.
But many times, this process can seem wasteful or, for those concerned about chemicals, even harmful.
Nespresso and Keurig face a problem
Nespresso uses aluminum capsules for everything from a simple shot of espresso to a great Vertuo specialty drink. The capsules are recyclable, although Nespresso prefers that its customers collect all the capsules at once in a bag and send them back to be processed and reused, rather than placing them in the recycling bin.
This is because the recycling process can be a bit complicated; The used pods still contain coffee beans that most processing plants would not accept as recyclable. And the acceptance hasn't exactly been phenomenal. It is estimated that only 36% of Nespresso drinkers participate in the recycling program.
Keurig, on the other hand, primarily produces plastic pods, or K-cups as they are commonly called.
For those worried about overheating a plastic capsule and running near-boiling water every morning, this is not the most ideal solution. Most K-cups claim to be free of BPA, a potentially harmful substance, especially for children and pregnant women, but using plastic every day is still not the most popular option.
And both capsules, whether aluminum or plastic, continue to generate waste.
But consumers tend to be even more resistant to reusable capsules. They are certainly available on the market, usually made of a mixture of plastic and metal mesh and with an open face, so that the customer can fill the capsule with the coffee grounds of their choice, but this is a cumbersome process. And the goal of a home coffee maker is to make the coffee-making process easier, not more complex.
Keurig and Nespresso launch solution
That's why both Nespresso and Keurig have announced that they plan to start producing paper-based products. The capsules will still be single-use and very easy to use, like traditional aluminum and plastic ones, but the new material will decompose more easily and therefore generate less waste.
Paper capsules will not require specialized recycling processes; As they are made from paper, they will be completely compostable, meaning they break down more easily and create less landfill.
Keurig first announced it would be transitioning to paper K-rounds in March, and Nespresso plans to unveil its new paper capsules during Milan Design Week, running from April 16-21. The capsules will be compatible with the original Nespresso models, however, they will not work with the newer Vertuo models.
Keurig paper pods will require new brewing machines and are not compatible with appliances that accept plastic pods.