How to be Green: Coffee Pods

Posted on December 2, 2017

If you've ever used a single-cup coffee maker that uses coffee pods (also called k-cups), you know that they are very convenient, but also produce a lot of waste. While some coffee pod manufacturers have themselves made efforts to recycle their own pods, and other startups have attempted to create a compostable pod, these convenient little pods largely find themselves in the landfill.

Unfortunately, the pods are immensely popular, which makes their destination for the landfill even more troublesome. Even if you don't have one yourself, you might have family, friends, or workplaces that do. Not all hope is lost, however. There are things that you can do to keep coffee pods out of the landfill, and this holiday season, we encourage you to spread these ideas to your family and friends.

Compost the coffee. The coffee inside the pods is compostable, so you can rip the foil covering on the pod off and dump the coffee grounds into your green bin or compost bucket.

Recycle the pod. Yes! This can be done. While the pods are too small for Calgary's sorting facility, the Town of Okotoks has an Eco Centre for recycling drop off that does take the pods! You can find their contact here.

Don't use them at all! One of the best things you can do is not use coffee pods at all. Single cups of coffee are easy enough to make in older processes, like with a French Press or portable coffee dripper (AKA pour over coffee maker). This also gives you a lot more options when it comes to what kind of coffee you'd like to make! You can pick up great local roasted beans in Calgary at places like Community Natural Foods and The Roasterie in Kensington, for example.

Whatever you chose to do, it's important that you keep in mind your own impact on the environment, so you can make conscious purchasing decisions and waste diversion decisions. Become an Eco Hero to your friends and family and show how you're making a difference.

We'd love to hear what you're doing already to make your actions count. Use the hashtag #EveryActionCounts on social media  and share it with us on Twitter or Facebook! If you're looking for more direct ways to support sustainability in Calgary, you can become a member of Green Calgary or make a donation to our charitable programs.


We'd love to meet you! We're having our annual Yuletide Open House December 9th! Come drop in for some hot cocoa & hot apple cider, snacks, music, and some fun activities! Find out more and RSVP here