Food - Drink
The Major Downside To Single-Use Coffee Pods (& How To Change That)
By LENA BECK
Plastic coffee pods, also called coffee cups or capsules, are disposed of after a single use. These products are now facing some fire for producing tons of environmental waste.
It's estimated that over 56 billion coffee pods ended up in landfills in 2018, but there are ways to avoid contributing to this. Some manufacturers are making their own efforts.
Some producers of coffee pods are trying to make their products greener, marketing them as recyclable, but many recycling facilities don’t accept pods because of their size.
Compostable capsules are great if you have a way to compost them, while biodegradable capsules are only a real help if they don’t break down into harmful microplastics.
Some companies now sell reusable coffee pods, often made of stainless steel, that can be rinsed for reuse. This may be the best solution yet for fans of coffee pod machines.