Recycling.
Such a great idea, in theory, but such a mess in reality. You’d think it’d be intuitive enough to just throw any plastic, glass, or cardboard into a bin, but no—there are seemingly countless rules! All kinds of factors go into considering what’s recyclable or not, like size, material, dryness, or what it was used for, and of course, the rules differ wildly from place to place. While state government websites will usually clear up any mysteries, it’s no wonder many people just cross their fingers, throw whatever they think will work into the bin, and hope against hope that it doesn’t end up in a landfill.
That said, coffee pods present a real ethical dilemma. By now, most of us are well aware that the ultra-convenient, deeply wasteful K-pod isn’t recyclable—the reason why Keurig mastermind John Sylvan has (rightfully) admitted he regrets inventing it. You’d think this unsustainability would expand to all coffee pods. Still, their more upscale distant cousins at Nespresso built this concern into their design by making their capsules out of metal instead of plastic. As a part of its sustainability measures, the brand also has a program that allows customers to bring their used pods into stores or mail them back to the company using a free bag.
