There's no doubt that Canadians love their coffee. In fact, regular coffee drinkers have about three cups per day.
With tons of java fanatics also currently working from home, the convenience of single-serve coffee right at your fingertips is hard to ignore, especially with the large choice of brands and flavours out there.
Thing is, many individuals are also looking for ways to reduce plastic and waste — and drinking copious amounts of coffee from plastic pods poses a dilemma to those efforts.
Canadian coffee roaster and manufacturer Club Coffee recognized that consumers needed a better way to enjoy their single-serve brew.
So, after working with the University of Guelph to develop an innovative alternative, in 2016 they officially launched the world's first 100%-compostable* coffee pods compatible with typical Keurig-type brewers.
Convenient, plant based, no plastic, and great tasting. Sounds too good to be true?
You might think these would be difficult to find, but some of your favourite coffee brands saw the demand for them and now use this format: Maxwell House, Nabob, President’s Choice, Ethical Bean, Jumping Bean, and Craft Roasters. They’ve made it simple for you to enjoy your coffee of choice and do right by the environment.
Fully certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), these compostable pods keep plastic out of the environment and are designed to go straight into compost as food waste. Tried and tested, the pod has proven to break down in as little as five weeks in large-scale composting processes, like municipal systems.
The world is moving toward a circular economy — where waste and pollution are reduced, and reuse and regeneration are key. These pods are a big step in the right direction because the ring is made from coffee bean skins, or chaff, that's discarded during the roasting process.
Nicole Fischer, Head of Sustainability at Kraft Heinz Canada, says that, as the makers of popular coffee brands Maxwell House and Nabob, they see these pods as a part of their strategy towards building a circular economy by reducing single-use plastics and keeping food waste out of landfills to limit the impacts on the environment.
The pod’s plant-based design ensures that consumers aren't drinking hot coffee through plastic. Zero plastic isn't just good for the environment — it's also good healthwise.
If you're an Ontarian wanting to support the inclusion of compostable pods in municipal green bin programs, it’s not too late to provide feedback on the new Food and Organic Waste Framework; it's the province's effort to reduce food and organic waste.
Canadians have actually consumed coffee from more than one billion compostable pods, which means they've eliminated enough plastic pods to span the height of 54,000 CN Towers or travel almost entirely around the world (0.92 trips).
President’s Choice, Ethical Bean, Nabob, Maxwell House, and Craft Roasters are making it easier to enjoy single-serve pods that are better for the planet — and our health.