ARE COFFEE PODS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
Single-serve coffee pods are a convenient luxury that many of us can’t imagine our mornings without.
Who wouldn’t want coffee shop style coffee at the press of a button?
But disposable coffee pods can be a concern for the environmentally conscious among us who worry about the impact of sending so many pods to landfill.
The good news is there are solutions! Coffee pods today are made with sustainability in mind, and you’ll find a choice of recyclable, compostable and reusable pods available.
Plastic-Free Coffee Pods
Originally, coffee pods consisted of a plastic pod and an aluminium foil lid. These two products in tandem can take as long as 500 years to break down in landfill.
So nowadays, a growing number of coffee brands are making pods from plastic-free materials. Some of these are recyclable, while others are completely biodegradable and compostable.
Greener Types of Coffee Pods
Recyclable coffee pods: Coffee pods made completely from aluminium can be cleaned out and added to your recycling bin, this is a great option but be sure to remove all the grinds or these may be rejected by the recyclers and end up in an incinerator.
The spent coffee grounds can be added to your food waste bin or your compost, better still put them around your plants in the garden, apparently the slugs and snails don’t like coffee!
Compostable coffee pods: Recycling is a good start, but composting is an even greener and easier solution. Compostable coffee pods are made from plant-derived materials such as corn starch.
Fireheart's Nespresso Compatible Pods, on the other hand, can be composted easily at home.
With the correct conditions in your compost bin, our pods can break down in approximately ten weeks, and will make great compost for the garden.
Reusable coffee pods: Reusable coffee pods are also a great way to limit plastic waste.
They do require a little more preparation to get the grind size and dosage correct to give you that all-important coffee shop style coffee.
And if you're making more than one coffee at a time the stainless steel pods can get very hot so do watch your fingers!
Eco-Friendly Choices: Coffee That Cares
Of course, when it comes to coffee pods, what’s on the inside is just as important. Choosing coffee that’s seasonal, fairly traded and made from ethically sourced coffee beans is the perfect way to enjoy your morning roast while caring for the planet.
Fireheart Coffee is based on a philosophy of “living coffee” – coffee that’s seasonally sourced, freshly roasted and alive with flavour. Shop our full range today.