Keurig Green Mountain, the company that manufactures and licenses the popular K-Cup single-serve coffee brewing pods, made $4.7 billion in revenue last year. It is easy to see why, considering nearly one in three U.S. households has a pod-based coffee machine. Although K-Cups’ relative convenience makes them appealing, their harmful environmental effects cannot be ignored. A staggering 95 percent of all K-Cups sold are made of largely non-recyclable composite plastic. Although Keurig has vowed to make K-Cups 100 percent recyclable by 2020, many critics find this late date unfeasible for the company. The damaging effects of K-Cups far outweigh their convenience as they currently stand.

Enough K-Cups were sold in 2014 to circle the Earth 10.5 times, and most of them ended up in landfills. The cups are made from plastic No. 7, a mix that is recyclable in only a handful of Canadian cities. Even the inventor of the K-Cup, John Sylvan, told The Atlantic that he does not own a Keurig coffee maker, citing expensive prices and environmental concerns. In fact, Sylvan, who sold his share of Keurig in 1997, expressed regret for inventing the K-Cup in the
first place.

The K-Cup problem is endemic to a larger problem of U.S. dependence on plastic. In 2012, plastic constituted 32 million tons of waste, 12.7 percent of the U.S. total. Plastic pollution is a major contributor to the destruction of marine ecosystems, releasing harmful petrochemical particles into the ocean as they slowly degrade. Decades of instant gratification have insulated American consumers from the fallout of their consumption, leaving them ignorant of the damage their beloved products cause. The Keurig’s convenience is especially appealing to students with busy schedules. As the rising generation, students have a responsibility to be more conscientious in our consumption, more aware of the wide-ranging consequences of our actions.

Even for those dependent on the convenience of a Keurig, there are Earth-friendly options. Many companies make reusable coffee filters that convert the machine into a one-cup drip coffee maker. This allows the use of ground coffee, which also cuts costs. However, it is still somewhat unrealistic to expect millions of people to change their routines or preferences all at once. Several companies have made the shift to biodegradable pods, but Keurig has updated new machines to reject unlicensed alternatives. Mainstream producers of pods should adopt these eco-friendly alternatives and become more sustainable themselves.

Meanwhile, it is up to Keurig consumers to decrease their carbon footprint. Small changes at the individual level are necessary for real progress on the environmental front. There are many clubs at NYU dedicated to improving the environment, but real change is contingent upon individuals rejecting harmful products. Only then will manufacturers respond with environmentally sound practices.

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A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, March 5 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected].