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The Coffee Capsule Pollution

For a long time, coffee drinkers have used an alternative approach to consuming their jolt of coffee – which is the coffee capsule machine. In this machine, small capsules containing coffee grains are poured into a machine which fills a cup quickly with palatable coffee. Unfortunately, the problem with the coffee capsules is that they create an immense disposal challenge (Braham & Bressani, 2009). For example, the capsules are covered or packaged with aluminum and plastic foils. Sometimes, the packaging of the capsule is so complex that it contains materials of different types. The single-serving coffee pods which were first introduced by the Nespresso in 1984 with four different flavors are slowly attracting critics who say they are a menace to the environment (BBC, 2016). The coffee capsule pollution is as a result of the packaging of the capsules which contain polluting aluminum that takes approximately 150 – 200 years to discompose. When combined with plastic coverings, the capsule packaging will take 500+ years for the plastic pods to discompose. A look at the capsule machine shows that it presents a significant environmental burden. This is primarily because the portion packs consume a significant amount of resources. Further, it leads to a considerable waste disposal challenge given the long periods it takes for the package to discompose (BBC, 2016). Already in Germany, the polluting packages and product components have been banned; and the ban includes products of the coffee capsule which account for one of every eight purchased cups of coffee.

It is further recorded that at the beginning of the coffee pods introduction in the market, the global market rose from $7 billion in 2010 to approximately $17 billion in 2015. Australians in 2015 spent $215 million on the purchase of coffee pods (Ferguson, 2016). The above rise in market share indicates the ever-increasing reliance on coffee capsule pods as convenient items in home-made beverages. Unfortunately, the pods come with a mixture of plastic and aluminum with an inorganic material inside. Perhaps the most pressing ethical problem created as a result of coffee capsule machine is the inorganic nature of the pod constituents which makes it hard for the environment to convert (Donahue, 2009). Given that aluminum and plastic pods take over a century to decompose and plastic constituent’s centuries, environmental advocacy groups are increasingly raising an alarm of the menace of the pods. It must be noted that for leading coffee producers in Australia to reverse the effect of the pods, new recycling and re-use initiatives will go a long way. One major program of reversing the effects of aluminum and plastic pods is by forming collaborations with recyclers. The aluminum pods can be melted into new metal products and the plastics turned into new plastics. This analysis reveals that although the coffee capsule offers better convenience and cost savings to home-owners and coffee consumers; it presents a paramount challenge. This is because the capsule covers take long to decompose. And combined with other inorganic materials, it becomes environmental unfriendly to support the production of the capsule pods (Ferguson, 2016). Perhaps a sustainable solution to the capsule pollution is to replace the pod packages with organic covers including covers made of food products like nuts and similar biodegradable materials.

 References BBC. (2016). Is there a Serious Problem with the Coffee Capsules. The BBC Official. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35605927 Braham, J. E., & Bressani, R. (2009). Coffee pulp: Composition, technology and utilization. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre. Donahue, R. (2009). The pollution inside you: What is your body dying to say?. Sheffield, Mass: Safe Goods. Ferguson, Z. (2016). Former Nespresso Boss Warns Coffee Pods are a Menace to the Environment. The ABC Place Official. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-24/former-nespresso-boss-warns-coffee-pods-are-killing-environment/7781810