Alternatives to k-cups

 

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With an estimated 100 million cups going into landfills within a single year! We don’t need more plastic that takes a kabillion years to decay so that we can have the convenience of a fast hit of caffeine.

There are simple alternatives to k-cups – because after all, we are talking about brewing a pot of coffee not sending an astronaut into space.

In 2015 roughly 9.8 billion k-cups were sold. K-cups weigh an average of 0.35 ounces per pod (shipping weight of a 24-count box is 13.6 ounces. 13.6/24 = 0.56 ounces per pod and I took a little off the top for the box therefore my estimate is likely too low).

The Costs of K-Cups

Now for some scary math

9.8 billion pods sold x 0.35 ounces per pod  = 3,430,000,000 pounds of coffee pod waste.

or

1,715,000 tons

or

(wait for it….)

 

172.5 Eiffel Towers!*

That is just ONE year in coffee pod trash! That number is likely higher as the sales numbers were the earliest I could find and from 2015.

*(Assuming the tower weighs 10100 metric tons as noted here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/france/paris/articles/Eiffel-Tower-facts/. I converted metric to imperial tons.)

Not only are the environmental cost high as we are trading a moment of convenience for the health of our world, there is also the actual cost to your household budget.

My husband and I drink coffee. A cup of premium coffee costs us about 0.21 cents to brew (we use a mesh filter) while that same coffee in k-cup form is 0.70 cents.

Brewing our own is a savings of 50 cents per cup of coffee. If we consume a total of about 4 cups of coffee a day that adds up fast in a year to a total a savings of $178.85 and 255.5 pounds of trash just from our household!

Alternatives to K-Cups

 

Let’s start with the simplest alternative to k-cups: If you own a coffeemaker, just brew a smaller pot of coffee. It might take a little work to figure out the perfect ratio of coffee to water for your taste buds (start with 1 to 2 tablespoons per three-quarters cup of filtered water), but we are talking about eliminating more than 172 Eiffel Towers worth of waste.

 

Use a French press (here is an affiliate link to buy one: http://amzn.to/2E6pF64)

If you like thick coffee like my dearest, then perhaps a percolator is best for you.

 

If you are racing off to work and don’t want the hassle of pouring your coffee from the carafe and into your cup, then this is a good alternative.

If you must use k-cups, then get ones that are actually compostable. What do I mean? If you put them in your compost pile, they will compost in a few months, not a few millennia.

 

What to do with the coffee grounds? Simple, take them outside and sprinkle around your flower beds. My grandmother did this for decades and had the most stunning roses.

And, as a side note if you get coffee when you are out – use your cup! Stainless steel or glass being the best choices.

I’ve yet to go to a business that won’t fill my cup which means I’m not leaving a trail of non-compostable cups in my wake.

Here is a good video to watch: https://www.facebook.com/KCRA3/videos/10155865650571514/

Click on the image to read and see if you are a dinosaur too?

I read this short story a while ago and liked it so much, I gave it residence on my desk. It reminds me to be me and to follow my dreams.

I’m finishing the The Wild Duck Chase: Inside the Strange and Wonderful World of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. I love the detailed descriptions of the various players in this world that most people don’t even know exists. The story is lively and humorous as well as completely engaging.

If you like Bill Bryson and Richard Louv’swriting you’ll enjoy Martin J. Smith’s look into the world of Duck Stamp art competitions and the history of protecting wetlands.