Keurig is finally stepping into the compostable coffee pod game. The mainstream coffee company has finally revealed the next evolution of its coffee lineup, a new machine that can take advantage of 100 percent compostable coffee pods made of coffee and seaweed.
Keurig unveiled the new plastic-free and metal-free pods this week. The new K-Rounds, as the company has called them, look like little pucks of compressed coffee. They’re sealed in a plant-based, food-grade shell of cellulose and starch to keep them fresh. It’s a good design that doesn’t include any aluminum tabs to pull off or any plastic cups or filters to dispose of after you’re done.
Keurig says that the new K-Round compostable coffee pods are made from edible ingredients like sorbitol, sodium chloride, cellulose, and alginate harvested from seaweed or algae. It’s a good angle, especially in a world where plastic waste continues to skyrocket each year. We’re even seeing microplastics in drinking water, something that scientists have warned could become a major problem.
Obviously, replacing your older plastic coffee pods with these new K-Rounds isn’t going to solve the problem outright. But, it is a nice option for those who want to make a difference where they can. We’ve also seen other companies embracing the idea of compostable coffee with single-use coffee balls, like CoffeeB.
Keurig says that it is currently working through the compostable certification, but that it expects the K-Rounds to be certified before everything is said and done. To take advantage of the new pods, though, you’ll have to purchase Keurig’s newest machine, the Keurig Alta. This machine is designed not only to work with the compostable coffee pods, but also to provide options for coffee drinks that Keurig hasn’t been able to do in the past, including making espresso.
There will be various sizes of the K-Rounds, which will be what makes these various drinks possible. Keurig hasn’t shared when the Alta will launch, but it will be interesting to see how the coffee maker stands out once it becomes available and whether or not Keurig’s attempts at moving to compostable pods pay off.