Worried About Waste From Single-Use Coffees?
by Jennifer Berry
Published on June 25th, 2009
4 Comments
Coffee makers are a standard fixture in any office setup. Recently, the growing popularity of single-use coffee systems, where drinkers brew their own cups of coffee rather than pouring from a community pot, have given rise to questions about the increase in waste this trend creates. In fact, a recent article estimated the 150 million coffee drinkers in the U.S. consume 3.1 cups per day, with single-use brewing systems on the rise.
To help with the impact of our love for coffee, Mars Drinks (which makes Flavia coffee) is working to recycle “all elements of the coffee-making process” with TerraCycle. Part of a larger initiative with the candy giant to help recycle its packaging, Mars is hoping to establish “Flavia Fresh Pack Brigades” to collect the coffee packs for recycling at offices where the system is utilized.
Have a system like this in your office? Check out a TerraCycle recycling brigade for your daily caffeine fix.
The coffee grounds will be composted and the plastic nozzle from the coffee pack will be recycled. Additionally, the film from the packs will be recycled into one of TerraCycle’s “upcycled” school products, like a pencil case or notebook.
The process by which the coffee is produced and packaged is also being revamped, including:
- New cups that use 10 percent post-consumer recycled material.
- Boxes that display the packs in offices are made from 90 percent post-industrial recycled content.
- Plastic rails in display boxes are made from recyclable material.
- The coffee is available in Rainforest Alliance certified blends, as well as blends sourced from Brighter Tomorrow at Origin.
TerraCycle will also be upcycling Mars’ end-run, misprinted and damaged candy wrappers into products such as laptop sleeves, cell phone holders and tote bags, while Mars will sponsor additional TerraCycle recycling brigade programs.
Eyal Rosen
posted on June 25th, 2009 at 3:13 am
It’s about time! So much waste from capsules (plastics and metal) and as far as I know only Nespresso (and only in Switzerland) recycled it. Excellent progress.
Worried About Waste From Single-Use Coffees?
posted on June 28th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
[...] the original post here: Worried About Waste From Single-Use Coffees? This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Post a comment or leave a [...]
Espresso drinkers doing our part for Green Earth | Talking Espresso and Great Coffee
posted on June 29th, 2009 at 7:44 am
[...] Jennifer Berry over at Earth911 wrote an article just last week on what she found about some producers of these coffee pucks are doing to help. It appears some are getting the message and changing the materials and processes. Let encourage them to continue when we can – thanks! [...]
Theresa
posted on June 29th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Brewing only what you need and not a whole pot which goes down the drain, reducing the amount of gas used from going to a coffee shop drive through and eliminating the need to use disposable cups by brewing at home or office saves natural resources and reduced waste.
I use Keurig single K-cups. They state on their website that they are “very sensitive about the waste created by the K-Cups, and are investigating alternative materials”. In the meantime, I recycle the “environmentally friendly packaging” that the cups are shipped in, compost the grounds, and select only the fair-trade, organic, and shade grown flavors that donate proceeds that benefit select charities such as Heifer International, PBS, and National Wildlife Foundation.