The first coffee pods were made by Nespresso using aluminum, a strong and light metal found abundantly and easy to ship worldwide. Soon, other companies began making coffee pods using plastics.
While aluminum is actually recyclable, it usually ends up in landfills, and plastic coffee pods are single-use plastic that needs to be avoided. Over time, there have been many eco-friendly and recyclable alternatives to Nespresso pods which are compostable and biodegradable. Since Nespresso offered unique packaging compared to the competition, other coffee brands are gravitating towards offering eco-friendly coffee pods.
1. Colonna
Colonna, founded by three-time UK Barista Champion Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, is our top pick for eco-friendly coffee pods. The pods are made with fully recyclable aluminum.
Colonna pods are compatible with Nespresso and ensure that you get great taste and convenience, too. The coffee pods also come with a step-by-step guide on how you can recycle their used coffee pods.
2. Coffee & Kin
Coffee & Kin is perfect for you if you value incredible taste and 100% plastic-free pods that are biodegradable and compostable. Not only do you end up with delicious coffee and avoid single-use plastics, but the coffee beans used by the company are also ethically sourced. With a ‘Plastic Free Trustmark’ logo on the packaging, you know you can trust Coffee & Kin to be eco-friendly.
3. Roar Gill
Coffee pods by Roar Gill are pretty unique in the materials they use. Their coffee pods are made with bioplastics that are cornstarch-based. This means that they are completely compostable with packaging that is 100% recyclable.
Additionally, the pods are made using renewable energy to avoid carbon emissions in the production process. The beans used in the coffee are also fair-trade and organic. Overall, Roar Gill coffee pods are an amazing choice if you want to go eco-friendly.
4. Moving Beans
Moving Beans is taking eco-friendly to the next level by making coffee pods compatible with Nespresso out of purely plant-based materials. The pods are made from sugar cane and are free of aluminum and hydrocarbon plastics.
The packaging is made from recyclable paper. Ethically sourced and roasted to perfection beans means delicious and eco-friendly coffee that you can enjoy guilt-free.
5. Blue Goose
Blue Goose’s single-origin Ethiopian coffee pods are the only compostable pods by the company so far. The pods are made from wood bark and are 100% free of single-use plastics.
Additionally, the company guarantees that the pods can be composted entirely in just 12 weeks. The packaging the pods come in is also completely eco-friendly. The packaging is made from recyclable cardboard and vegetable ink.
Final Notes
These were our top 5 picks for eco-friendly coffee pods. There are many more options available for you to choose from, too. With so many eco-friendly alternatives to try, it’s about time we switch from traditional coffee pods to coffee pods that are compostable, recyclable, and biodegradable. Even a small change like switching which coffee pods you use can significantly impact the environment!
