Americans love their coffee and they have jumped headlong into the single serving coffee machine trend. Now, we are hearing about the volume of plastic entering landfills as a discarded K-Cup. These individual plastic cups are very convenient but are creating mountains of unrecyclable waste. Not only can we purchase individual pods of coffee but tea is also available and even soup pods are coming soon to a landfill near you.

Not only is the waste accumulation a concern but the millions of pounds of used coffee grounds that are not being dispursed is a waste as well. This organic material is very useful in composting and has traditionally been used to create nutrient rich soil for growing more food.

There are opportunities to choose a more economical option the next time you refill your supply of coffee pods. You can purchase re-usable filters made by the manufacturer themselves and also by aftermarket companies. These eco-filters allow you to fill them with the coffee of your choice and you can dump, rinse, and repeat for each cup of coffee you drink.

Some people are making their own tea bags, substituting with coffee. You only need coffee filters (choose the non-bleached variety), your favorite coffee or tea, and a stapler. Once used, you simply toss the bag. You’ve now reduced the plastic in landfills by one K-Cup, added a smidge of coffee grounds for composting, and saved yourself an impressive amount of money if calculated out over a year.

We are the last people to give up our morning coffee so it is good to know we have ways of reducing the impact our morning wake-up can have on the future of the earth.