The Value of Sustainability in Office Coffee

Each day, 2.25 billion coffee cups are reportedly consumed globally. Each day, around 16.3 billion cups of coffee are consumed by Americans alone. The only other commodity in the world after oil is coffee. Over 120 million people rely on it as their primary source of income, making it the most popular beverage in the world.

In terms of numbers, the influence of the coffee bean is enormous.  The health, wealth, and well-being of 25 million coffee farmers, 10 million hectares of coffee plants, and the continuous capacity of ecosystems to support them are all necessary for the production of the coffee we drink.

Are K-Cups & Coffee Pods Environmentally Friendly?

It adds up to a strong case for ethical coffee manufacturing. The simple answer is that due to the intensive manufacturing process and the waste left after use, most coffee pods are not environmentally-friendly.

While coffee pods may have that cool recycling symbol on them, it takes a lot more work than it appears to break them down into a recyclable form. 

Recycling pods can be a stressful task because their single-use plastic is a complete environmental nightmare on all fronts.

Once used, a pod can technically be picked apart and elements can be recycled or composted, but in reality, the work is far too time-consuming, and most pods end up chucked into the garbage. The  truth that most companies just won’t come out and say, is that most K-cups simply aren’t biodegradable. Right now the reality is that non-compostable plastic pods aren’t being recycled or composted. Instead, they’re being dumped by the billions into landfills.

Making the Switch to Bean-To-Cup

What is the simplest way to minimize waste with your coffee machine? Eliminate single use pods and make the switch to a bean-to-cup machine!

Bean to Cup office coffee machines like VendiBean grind whole beans to cup dispensing freshly brewed espresso selections each time. Compared to a tabletop counter bean to cup coffee solutions, the VendiBean machine can hold 3x more product capacity allowing for less time and energy required to spend on maintenance and service. Your company can even choose to create a composting program to dispose your freshly ground coffee.

In addition to the actions mentioned earlier—picking local roasters, using sustainable beans, and carrying your reusable cup—are the next best things you can do to encourage altering employee behavior. Educate your team on the value of sustainability in the workplace.

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