Source: coffemarvel.com
Last November, my sister and I agreed to get our 85 year-old mother a Keurig-brand coffee maker for Christmas. For as long as I can remember, my mother has made one pot of weak coffee in the morning and reheated it, cup by cup, all day. We figured it was time for her to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee any time of the day. That she had earned the right to step away from the Folgers.
It seemed so simple.
Following the conversation, we went on separate Google searches. My sister looked for the best Keurig bargain. I started to hunt for information on those handy little pods. The pods seemed like mini-miracles: Choose your brand, your strength, your flavor. In fact, choose your beverage. Not a coffee person? Pick tea! Pick apple cider! Just coming in from building a snowman? Hot chocolate in a jiffy! At last count, there were more than 200 flavors and varieties. What's not to love, right?
And yet. I couldn't get past the fact that these cartridges had no where to go after their minute-long brewing cycle...except to landfills. I kept checking and checking. Who--in this day and age--would invent something so un-green? Especially Keurig's parent company, Green Mountain Roasters, Inc.? (Actually, the companies have merged--now called Keurig Green Mountain.) These are the same folks who adore composting, solar power, and fair trade? Geez, they're even located in Vermont! It didn't fit...at least for me.
Consider a few points of possible concern:
- The National Coffee Association tells us that nearly 1 in 5 adults enjoyed a single-cup beverage at home this morning. It's second only to traditional drip brews, such as Mr. Coffee.
- Americans paid $3.1 BILLION in 2013 for the convenience of "K-Cups."
- All the K-Cups produced in 2013 would circle the globe almost eleven times. (Mother Jones)
- Green Mountain only makes five percent of its nifty pods out of recyclable plastic. And, for that five percent? People have to remember to peel the aluminum cap off the little cup. And empty out the grounds. Fat chance.
Make no mistake, I understand that single-cup coffeemakers are here to stay. I also get the beauty of convenience, as well as choice. That's what we Americans are known for. My children own Keurigs. So does my sister. And now, of course, my mother. (She adores Gloria Jean's Hazelnut.) Trust me, there are times when I've thought how sweet it would be to brew a quick Chai in the afternoon or a camomille at bedtime.
"You should get one," urged my sister, who has become an authority on the various models, as well as their benefits. "We use ours all the time. When the kids come home, they just make their favorites." I explained that I couldn't do it--not until there was a way to conveniently recycle the pods. Not to be deterred, she pointed out that there were fill-it-yourself pods; you just use your own coffee, pack it in, and voila! I can't imagine why I would go to that much effort. That tiny filter still needs to be rinsed out. Why not just make a small pot of coffee? Or use a French press?
Beyond the pods themselves, there are three other reasons I won't be getting a Keurig (or any other single-cup coffee maker) anytime soon:
1. Sustainability. Keurig Green Mountain isn't in a big hurry to address the issue of the waste its pods are producing. K-Cups were designed to be garbage. No big deal. The company statement is something along the lines of "Yeah, we know this is getting to be a problem. We're aware, and we'll work on it." Indeed, in 2013, out came the "2020 sustainability targets" which include things like-gasp!-recycling. They even call these targets "ambitious." Only six years away...
2. Styrene. For those of you who are already owners of one-cup beverage makers (one in three Americans use a Keurig at home or at work) there's the teeny-tiny question of the carcinogenic properties of those handy pods. Keurig spokesperson Sandy Yusen calls the recycling issue "an interesting challenge."
Why? Because K-Cups include #7 plastic, which falls under the "other" category of plastics. Yusen touts the Keurig #7 as BPA-free and safe for consumers. But...the National Resources Defense Council feels otherwise. "You don't know what it (#7) is," claims NDRC's Darby Hoover. The big concern is that polystyrene is in the mix. It contains styrene, the chemical--and carcinogen--that destroys the nervous system. Who's affected? The workers making the K-Cups. (You'll also find styrene in tobacco smoke and styrofoam containers.) Keurig calls their #7 "proprietary" and won't confirm/deny the presence of styrene.
3. Cost. Don't pretend to be surprised to find out that those made-to-order beverages are expensive. A standard pod of Green Mountain coffee runs about 68 cents. The New York Times did an analysis of the single-cup costs. Ready? Sit down. "Single-brew coffee ends up costing more than $50 a pound, even for Folgers." You can get the most expensive Starbucks bean for about $13 a pound.
Steadfast readers already know that I am a bit of a nut when it comes to recycling. I tote my own grocery bags and refuse the bottled water at hotels and conferences. It seems obvious to me that it's important for all of us--consumers and manufacturers--to agree to keep our precious earth as healthy as we possibly can.
Sometimes, though, I feel like the lone voice in the desert. But even one person matters. Until I can recycle those little pods, I will continue to grind and brew my coffee in the out-dated way. Anyone out there with me on this? Anyone?
Sources for today's Blix: Mother Jones, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Oakland Press
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