This is How You Can Be More Eco-Friendly With Coffee Pods

In recent years, startling statistics have emerged about the environmental impact of our oh-so-convenient coffee pods. These nifty little pods took the world by storm, with a multitude of colours and flavours that turned us into at-home coffee connoisseurs and baristas.

But little did we know, up to 95% of pods are made from non-recyclable plastic and aluminium, with "a huge amount of non-biodegradable waste being generated each and every day, causing irreversible damage to our environment."

Sealpod estimates that a staggering six million pods are consumed in Australia each day. Safe to say, you might think again when sipping on your next cup of coffee from the office Nespresso machine.

Since the realisation of this impact, Nespresso—one of the biggest coffee pod generators—now has 100,000 recycling collection points in 33 countries and a reported global recycling rate of around 30%. In Australia, there are 19,000 collection points and four ways to recycle your pods which, according to Planet Ark's site recyclingnearyou.com, includes:

Returning your used capsules to your nearest Nespresso boutique
Using a bulk recycling box to collect capsules on behalf of your workplace or community
Dropping off your used capsules at your nearest participating florist or garden drop-off centre
Ordering a Nespresso Australia Post satchel and returning it via Australia Post once it's full

The Nespresso website reports that 100% of customers have recycling solutions nearby, but just how many customers are using these solutions is the concern. To get up to speed, visit the Nespresso website and to find out more about what you can and can't recycle in your household, head on over to Planet Ark's Recycling Near You.

While recycling is great 'n all, there are downsides: "it is energy-intensive, and tonnes of carbon dioxide is generated by the production and distribution process alone." So what can we do to make our coffee consumption less damaging?

One easy and revolutionary solution is to swap your usual capsules for reusable coffee pods. There is a vast range of reusable options now available in Australia, and to make life even easier for you, we have handpicked 3 of the best eco-friendly pods so you can enjoy your morning flat white, guilt-free.

The Best Reusable Coffee Pods to Make Your Mornings Eco-Friendly

SealPod

SealPod capsules come from Crema Joe, an Aussie-based business passionate about providing environmentally friendly, sustainable alternatives to single-use coffee pods. Crema Joe's products are compatible across Nespresso, Caffitaly, Aldi, Dolce Gusto, and Lavazza machines.

One of their bestsellers is the SealPod Starter Pack that comes with:

1 Stainless Steel Reusable Capsule
1 Fresh Cover
24 Espresso Sticker Lids
1 Scoop

sealpod crema joe starter kit — crema joe, sealpod starter kit ($25)

shop

Pod Star

Pod Star was launched by Sydney couple Mark and Kirsten: Coffee lovers with a passion for the environment, quality of life and design. The Pod Star website offers grinders, spoons, freshly ground coffee beans, a range of Pod Star packs and capsules suitable for Nespresso, Caffitaly, Aldi and Espressotoria machines.

One of their top packs is the Starter Pod Star Pack for Nespresso® which contains:

1 x 2-Pod Star Capsule Pack
1 x Stainless Steel Scoop
200g of Freshly Roasted Ground Coffee (Fairtrade, Organic, or Rainforest Alliance)

podstar star pack — podstar, Starter Pod Star Pack for Nespresso ($96)

shop

Bare & Co.

Bare & Co. makes natural and sustainable home and body products, including a range of stainless steel, reusable coffee pods that are both eco-friendly and cost-effective. They are also compatible with Nespresso, Inissia, U, Pixie, Citiz, Maestria, Lattissima, Essenza, Le Cube, Creatista and Concept coffee machines.

Each Starter Pack contains: