The 5 Best Biodegradable K Cups That Will Save The Planet

One in three homes has a coffee maker in the US, which means a lot of popular single-serve plastic coffee pods are piling up in landfills.

And all these plastic cups are causing serious environmental problems every year so people can get their caffeine kick.

John Sylvan, the man that created coffee pods didn’t realize how powerful the consumer interest would be, how popular single-serve coffee pods would become, and how much damage this coffee system would cause.

Which is why we need to turn to the best biodegradable k cups that don’t contain any plastic.

But first:

What are the problems with plastic cups? Can you recycle them? And what is better than recyclable k-cups ?

All will be relieved soon!

What To Look For When Buying Biodegradable K Cups

You’re finally ready to make the switch to top biodegradable coffee pods, but you don’t know where to start. So, what should you look out for to make great coffee without sacrificing our planet?

Here are the things I look out for before I purchase great coffee pods:

Which Are The Best Biodegradable K Cups?

If you’re still struggling to make up your mind about which is the best biodegradable k-cups and trust me. I know it’s hard.

Then here are a few household name products for you to think about as a better option than single-use plastics but still make great coffee:

Camerons Coffee

Camerons Kona coffee blend comes with six boxes of twelve single-serve coffee pods. Each Kona coffee pod are 100% compostable k cups.

The blend Cameron use is a real coffee filter and also certified compostable components but remember the Kona blend compostable cups are only for commercial composting facilities.

The pods are compatible with Keurig machines as the company continues to strive for product good coffee with convenience. Each pod delivers a high-quality cup of brewed coffee.

The blend is made rich and smooth but very flavorful, the Hawaiian blend has hints of chocolate undertones and nuts. The blend is smooth with a light roast, which isn’t bitter making the end product good.

Key Features

One person mentioned they tried to cut down the amount of sugar in the coffee. It was made very easy with this blend. It was smooth and light, while the chocolate undertones helped to sweeten it without with sugar. The problem was it only worked with Keurig 2.0, which is a shame if that’s all you have.

Overall a nice K cup to get us started, the flavor is great and seemed to satisfy people’s needs. Although for the chocolate might make it to sweet for me. It is a shame that it doesn’t work on Keurig 1.0 although I guess that’s because it’s outdated now. But a great way to get your strong caffeine fix.

Tayst Coffee Roaster

With Tayst Decaff Coffee Roaster, you have 11 blends of coffee cup to choose from, so you should have no problem finding one that matches your needs.

You also get the choice between a pack of 30, 50, 100 and 240, so you have no problem with your coffee needs.

The container is 100% compostable pods and doesn’t contain any plastic waste making it eco friendly, which is also certified by the Rainforest Alliance.

Tayst Pods are compatible with the Keurig 2.0 only, so make sure you watch out for that.

The companies goal is to stop billions of non biodegradable K cups ending up in landfill sites.

Key Features

The coffee tasted a lot better than other coffee pods, but it wasn’t her favorite. She also loved the compostable pods and bags. It made her feel like she was making a difference. One person did have trouble with pieces of coffee grounds ending up in the machine, but this seems like a one-off.

It comes with a great selection of flavors; choosing the variety pack might be the best option to start with as you can try different roasts from dark roast, medium roast, even medium-dark roast etc… You’ll get to find your favorite blend. It’s also nice to see that it’s Rainforest Alliance certified at least we know it’s sourced sustainably.

Organic Coffee Co.

You get 36 single serve coffee pods in the pack, with the choice of six flavors, including breakfast blend.

Each of the K cup pods is fully compostable and compatible with both Keurig machines which is great news for coffee lovers around the world.

Meaning getting your coffee cup couldn’t be easier.

The compostable K-cups for coffee is made with paper lidding, mesh filter and other plant-based materials.

As for how the coffee is made… the rogers family is on a mission to find the finest Arabica beans blend Varieties.

They find the richest dark roast and medium roast and the most flavorful coffees from the Arabica beans sourced. You’re guaranteed to find the coffee beans for you. Whether that’s a breakfast blend, medium roast or a dark roast, they’ve got you covered.

Key Features

One customer said the decaf was delicious with plenty of flavor, and they loved the compostable factor. While another complimented it’s smooth, light roast with no bitterness. Although one person found the decaf a little week for their taste.

I like this brand the coffee. It’s 100% organic, so you know what you are putting into your body. You also get a selection on how many you receive in the pack, perfect for the modest coffee drinker, or a seasoned pro. They also have a vast range of flavors to choose from.

San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay is another company owned by the Rogers family. They share the same mission in finding rich Arabica beans sourced to make the perfect flavor the coffee blends can offer.

San Francisco Bay gourmet coffee has 13 flavors for you to choose from, with breakfast blend being the most popular. Each box contains 80 of their best biodegradable K cups, which is more than enough.

The coffee pods are compatible with both brands of Keurig K-cups coffee machines and are top biodegradable k-cups.

The compostable k-cups are single serve but cannot be chucked on the compost pile, instead they must be disposed by commercially compostable means usually at a composting facility.

The single serve biodegradable coffee pods are great for a delicious and convenient good coffee.

Key Features

One person recommended was recommended San Francisco Bay onecup by a friend as a sustainable version to usual single-use coffee K-cup pods. The coffee had great notes and tasted great. But, it was a little too weak at 8 Oz, he went down to six Oz and it tasted great. Maybe it was a bad batch or maybe they have to up the coffee.

They seem like a tasty brew, you have plenty of flavor the coffee to get stuck into, and there’s plenty in the pack. It’s a shame they seemed the blend is made a little weak for some people. But, I guess it all comes down to personal preference if you like K-cups with weaker coffee beans than San Francisco Bay might be perfect for you.

Faro Roasting Houses

In the Faro Roasting Houses, you get 60 of their best biodegradable coffee pods. Each box contains 12 of each flavor.

Each of the onecup pods has a distinctive exotic taste.

The company Faro supports work done by the Rainforest Alliance and is certified accordingly.

Their coffee single serve pods are fully compostable pods but cannot be put in your home compost, it needs to be sent to commercial composting facilities.

The compostable pods are also compatible with a range of coffee makers.

Key Features

One person wrote they made the switch because they wanted to help the environment. The flavors were rich, and he would highly recommend the product. But, it wasn’t all roses. One person was miserable that they couldn’t compost do home composting.

Another great selection of flavors to dig into, 60 pods should be more than enough to find out what flavor you prefer. It’s a shame you can’t home compost them, but at least you can take them to a commercial composting facility.

Are K Cups Environmentally Friendly?

The short answer is no, millions are chucked away every day, and I’m sure you can agree this is not doing our environmental problems any good.

Meaning the world faces one of the worst fights against single-use plastics.

It’s thought that there are over 75 million K cup pods used in homes every day, here’s something for shock value:

That’s roughly enough to wrap around the world 10 times.

How crazy is that?

The problem isn’t just with how many we consume. It’s that the pods can’t break down, and if they do, it leaves behind harmful chemicals.

You do have a few options if you want to be more environmentally friendly; reduce, recycle (spoiler alert) or go compostable.

Granted, the first options isn’t everyone’s favorite idea, but the other options are very viable.

Are K-Cups Recyclable?

Yes, some K-cup pods are recyclable, and at least recycling them is better for the environment. It significantly reduces the amount of trash the world faces piling up in landfills sites.

But how do you recycle them?

To help you in the process you can buy a separation tool that allows you to separate the single-use plastics from the other components.

But, what if you can’t recycle them, but you still feel bad chucking the cups away?

What Can You Do With Old K-Cup Pods?

So, you’re feeling guilty about using plastic K-cups in your coffee maker, but you still have a load leftover. And I understand recycling them isn’t an option for everyone because separating them is difficult.

If this is the case, I have a few things you can do to make old K-cups recyclable and decrease your plastic waste:

1) Paint cups

Kids love to paint, but give them a full tub of paint and your asking for a big problem. Why not use your old plastic K-cups to hold their paint. And the tubs as washable so you can keep reusing it.

2) Seed starter

It’s slightly poetic that plastic, something that’s doing so much harm, can be used to do something good. With some damp cotton wool and a couple of seeds you can start germinating your seeds for increased success

3) Jello Shots

Hey, don’t judge me! Everyone needs a little release sometimes. So why not bring some joy to a party? K cups are a perfect size, and if you’re a heavy coffee drinker like me, then you’ll have plenty of makeshift shot glasses to go round.

4) Frozen Herbs

Some times when you’re cooking, you cut too many herbs, or you need somewhere to store them while you chop something else. Recyclable K-cups are the perfect size to store your fresh herbs, And when you’re done, you can freeze the rest ready for next time.

5) Advent Calendar

Spend some time with the kids and make your own arts and crafts advent calendar. You can all create your own cool designs, and fill the recyclable K-cups with treats of your choice. It’s the perfect pre-Christmas activity. Your kids will love it.

But as we already discussed, using compostable k cups and hitting a compost facility is better than recyclable k-cups.

Summary

So, next time you’re looking for a single serve coffee pod, make sure you go with the best biodegradable K-cups. But, remember there are a few things you need to think about in order to choose the right compostable biodegradable k-cups to reduce your plastic waste.

How many do you get in the pack? If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, then you might need to choose a brand with the highest count. And be aware of commercial composting and where your nearest composting facility is.

Make sure you check the blend, if you’re not sure about a brand, then try something you’re familiar with. You’re more likely to make a reasonable choice and find the best biodegradable k cups for you. There are a range of roasts to try from dark roast coffee medium roast just as a starter.

I hope that cleared up any questions. If it hasn’t, please comment below, and I’ll get back to you. Don’t forget to hit the share button to let people know what a big problem onecup pods like K-cups are to the environment.

If you’re a coffee drinker than I’m sure you like an iced coffee, the problem is they come with plastic straws. But you can lower your carbon footprint a much better option of the best metal straws without sacrificing great coffee.