In order to live our lives more mindfully and be eco-friendly, it is necessary to change some habits. Of course, there are some habits we don’t really want to change, ones we cherish and can’t imagine our lives without, like starting our day with a favorite cup of coffee. If you want to keep drinking your coffee daily by making a positive impact on the environment, you could choose recyclable coffee pods over standard ones.
Regular Coffee Pods
Most coffee pods are either made of plastic or aluminum, along with some paper. It is first necessary for these materials to be produced and transported to the location where the pods will be put together. It should also be noted that, although there are ways to recycle or at least reuse most coffee pods, there are still some plastic or aluminum ones that are impossible to recycle.
Once the pods are filled with ground coffee, they are packaged. These are later put into bigger boxes so that they can be transported safely. All this packaging, along with the pods, eventually ends up in landfills, where it contributes to the already alarming pollution levels. The waste from making coffee this way often ends up in the oceans, damaging the waters and the underwater wildlife, which makes them additionally dangerous.
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Better Options
With the rise of environmental awareness on a global scale, consumers have been searching for greener alternatives to standard coffee pods. This was soon recognized by companies around the world, and it made them reconsider their old ways and seek solutions that will cater to their clients’ needs. Nowadays, you can opt for the best eco-friendly coffee pods on the market, which people love for more than one reason.
Aside from being filled with top-quality coffee, they are beneficial to the environment, as they are completely biodegradable and even compostable. Finally, it takes far fewer resources and energy to produce these compostable pods than making the regular ones, which makes them even more environmentally friendly, since they are generally made from renewable materials, and opting for them reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
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The Simplicity of Recycling
Even though most people agree that recycling is important, not all of them recycle regularly. The main reason for this is the inconvenience of the process. In addition, not all consumers will actually read what’s on the package, so that they can learn what it is they’re buying and whether indeed it can be recycled or not.
For instance, when you want to recycle a standard coffee pod, you have to separate the paper filter from the foil lid and the foil lid from the pod itself. In reality, this doesn’t truly require too much of your time, but people consider it a nuisance and end up not doing it at all. After all, they would rather spend their time and energy on improving the taste of their coffee than thinking about the pods.
This isn’t an issue with biodegradable and compostable coffee pods, as they are easy to dispose of in an eco-friendly way. They can break down as fast as in several weeks and they will lower your own carbon footprint, as your household will produce less waste on an annual level.
Conclusion
Switching from the harmful plastic and aluminum pods to the biodegradable and compostable ones won’t set you back financially, nor will it require any of your time or effort. On the other hand, making such a decision is something that Mother Nature could gain from.