Yahoo Finance Coffee pods 'harming' our planet
It is no secret Australians are obsessed with coffee but the man responsible for a hugely popular home brew has revealed his own love affair has come to an end.
As the International Coffee Awards kicked off today in Melbourne, John Sylvan, the co-founder of US espresso pod brand, K-Cups, criticised his own invention.
Millions of people use the do-it-yourself pods everyday, but Mr Sylvan, an entrepreneur turned environmentalist, revealed he does not use the product because he thinks they are expensive and bad for the environment.
“I feel bad sometimes that I ever did it," he said.
“Plus it’s not like drip coffee is tough to make.”
Mr Sylvan created the coffee-in-a-pod system in the ‘90’s and then sold his stake in the company for $50,000 to American coffee giant Keurig, which has made a multi-billion dollar windfall from sales worldwide.
“It’s like a cigarette for coffee, a single-serve delivery mechanism for an addictive substance,” he told The Atlantic.
A combination of ease, convenience, and addictiveness has contributed to the success of coffee pods, which has caused companies like Keurig to make a stunning revenue from caffeine-obsessed folk.
However, there is a downside to our obsession.
The product is everywhere, and contributes heavily to waste, as the cups are made from plastic and foil, which are not biodegradable.
If all the K-cups sold in 2014 were laid end-to-end, it would be enough to circle the Earth more than 10 times, according to the US media reports.
A spokeswoman for Keurig said the recyclability of K-cup packs ‘is a challenge we take very seriously,’ and are working toward making them more sustainable by 2020.
Mr Sylvan remains sceptical, claiming the plastic is a specialised type made of four different layers, creating a serious recycling challenge.
“No matter what they say about recycling, those things will never be recyclable,” he said.
Mr Sylvan now dedicates his time to environmental projects, including ZonBak, a solar company that claims to make the most cost-efficient solar panel in the world.
News break – March 5
