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Most people start their day with a quick cup of coffee, and that is a fact. So whether you are a worker or are a full-time homemaker, coffee is what keeps most people going, and whenever they feel down or tired, they quickly pop in a coffee pod in their coffee machine and get their favourite coffee in a matter of seconds.
But do you know that these single-serving coffee pods used in capsule machines are not good for our environment?
Why Are Coffee Pods Not The Best Choice For Our Environment?
Coffee capsules have made our lives super convenient, but the truth about them is that they are bad for the environment. These pods take up to 500 years to decompose as they are made of plastic or aluminum capped with foil or filter paper. So, if you are a coffee person, maybe it’s time to think green and opt for coffee machines with no pods.
Due to the devastating harm coffee capsules have on our environment, the German city of Hamburg has wholly banned them from state-run offices. The packaging of pods is the root cause of pods not decomposing. Due to this, most coffee companies are moving towards more sustainable coffee options, like machines that don’t require pods, biodegradable pods, recyclable pods, instant coffee, and reusable pods.
Coffee Pod Alternatives:
The good news is that there exist many easy and quick alternative options to use instead of coffee pods which won’t make you feel guilty about drinking coffee because they are environmentally friendly.
• Reusable Pods:
Reusable coffee pods are made up of stainless steel. So you don’t have to throw them out after every use. However, the coffee pods need to be cleaned and refilled by your preferred flavour after every use.
• Compostable Pods:
Instead of plastic pods, an excellent eco-friendly option is to look for compostable pods made of paper, fibre, bio-degradable ink, or other such materials. With such pods, you can save your pod cleaning time and enjoy your coffee like always. Moreover, since the pods are degradable, you can toss them in the compost bin.
• Recyclable Pods:
If you don’t want to buy reusable or compostable pods, try to purchase pods made from 100% reusable plastic so that when you trash them, they are completely recycled, and no part is left in the landfills to harm our environment. To ensure the pods are recyclable, look at the numbers. Number 5 is for recyclable plastic, while number 7 is for non-recyclable plastic.
But there is an even better alternative, and that is a coffee machine with no pods.
Pod Less Coffee Machines
The best alternative to coffee pods is to get a machine that will give you equally tasteful and rich coffee but without pods. So, if you are willing to save the environment, and if you can spare some money, you can buy an Italian coffee maker, automatic brewing machine, or coffee press for the love of your coffee.
• Italian Coffee Machine:
This machine brews coffee by passing boiling water through your favourite coffee powder. It will give you coffee in a minute, but the plus point is that there won’t be any waste.
• French Coffee Press:
There are many flavoured coffees available in the market which you can buy instead of coffee pods. Then, you can use that flavoured coffee in a French coffee press to make a cup of coffee with tiny coffee grounds percolating the coffee’s flavour.
Not to forget, the coffee remains can work perfectly for exfoliating your skin or as your plant’s fertilizers.
• Automatic Brewing Machine:
Like a French coffee press, an automatic brewing machine just requires a press of a button, and you can get your coffee. But you have to add the ground coffee beforehand to the machine.
People using coffee pods on a large scale is greatly affecting our environment. We might not see the adverse effects of the pods right now, but they are rapidly filling our landfills because they are made from aluminum, plastic, and such chemicals, which take decades to decompose. However, we can save our planet from harmful coffee pods by opting for pod less coffee machines or alternatives.
