Coffee drinkers in the U.S. go through about 20 billion Keurig cups annually.
That’s a lot of plastic to toss away. Two Charleston coffee makers have taken it upon themselves to help rid the Lowcountry of the single-use pods that pile up in landfills and now their new recyclable product is hitting supermarket shelves. Cambio Roasters, co-owned by former Keurig Green Mountain executive Kevin Hartley and Ann Hutson, said it's the first brand to make aluminum K-cups.
“We knew we needed to exit single-use plastics and reimagine the iconic K-cup for the next 25 years,” Hartley said. The prepacked aluminum cups are in an early roll-out in Harris Teeter stores with a broader push coming Sept. 1.
Customers can buy them for about the same price as coffee packed in plastic K-cups, about $9 for a standard-size box. “We’re not charging any more than a normal plastic cup,” Hartley said, adding that aluminum also makes for better storage since plastic is porous and any oxygen let in can degrade the contents. Aluminum is also almost infinitely recyclable , noted Christina Moskos, program manager with the Charleston County Environmental Management.
A beer can, for example, can become another 50,000 cans since it keeps its chemical properties. Other recyclable products like paper and cardboard only have a few turns before they degrade too much. While reusable or compostable products would generate the least amount of waste, Moskos said the responsible packaging has potential to go.