More and more companies are offering biodegradable and reusable versions of their products. This is a step in the right direction for many shoppers who want to be eco-friendly, but sometimes, the companies still undermine those efforts in other ways.
For example, one Redditor who wanted to avoid plastic packaging recently found that they had received just as much plastic in their order as they would have in a box of standard disposable items.
What happened?
The original poster shared their frustration in r/mildlyinfuriating. "Bought a pack of biodegradable K-Cups to avoid plastic, only to have them be individually wrapped in plastic!" said the Redditor, sharing a photo.
In the picture, the Redditor has opened a cardboard box full of No Name brand cups. Although they ordered the special biodegradable cups, they were dismayed to find that each one of the refills came individually wrapped in a single-use plastic bag.
"Business doesn't care about the environment. They care about 'the appearance of caring,'" grumbled one commenter.
Other shoppers have had similar experiences in recent times. One shopper ordered metal straws only to find that each came wrapped in a plastic sleeve, and another buyer complained that it made no sense to cut out plastic grocery bags when the products themselves came wrapped in multiple layers of plastic.
Why does it matter if the package contains plastic?
Plastic is one of the most problematic forms of trash. While recycling options exist for some kinds of plastic, a shocking amount of plastic waste simply can't be recycled by most facilities. Instead, it ends up in a landfill or as litter. It can hang out in the environment for more than a century, shedding microplastics and harming wildlife.
Responsible consumers avoid plastic when possible, but in this case, even an eco-conscious buyer who chose a biodegradable product still ended up with plastic.
"French press, pourover, Chemex — there are many ways to make a better tasting cup of coffee," said a commenter. "K-cups are the worst invention ever."
What is the provider doing about plastic waste?
Manufacturer Loblaw Companies Limited switched to providing compostable coffee cups in 2022, according to its website. Under the No Name brand, the same label that the original poster purchased, it produced "award-winning sustainable packaging innovation."
Although the plastic packaging is a weak point, the cups themselves are a major improvement on standard single-use coffee pods.
What can I do to cut back on my plastic waste?
Besides skipping the single-use coffee pods, you can try to reduce your reliance on plastic as a whole. When possible, choose reusable products over single-use plastic. For example, choose a reusable water bottle over disposable bottled water and a metal razor over plastic ones.
This definitely applies to coffee pods, as one commenter pointed out. "Unfortunate, but why not get the reusable refillable k-cups? Or Better yet, ditch the machine entirely and use a French press," they said.
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