Keurig...you can't DO BETTER?

[luvmy3]

Do you not get that single-use disposable items are different than cars or phones that get used for years?

It isn't all or nothing, sure, but just b/c I still have a car (w/ great gas mileage that is 7 years old) doesn't mean I can't make a lot of other good choices.

Your "argument" just makes no sense. You are basically saying, we either need to be perfect or say screw it and do whatever we want, who cares about waste and impact.

Using Kcups is comparable to using paper towels, disposable diapers, paper napkins, individual water bottles, & plastic grocery bags not driving a car or having a phone.

Yes, they are very different, look into how those electronic devices are made. Look into the energy used to produce the materials they are made with. There is more to being eco-friendly than not filling up our landfills, so the comparison between those items and K-cups is valid. Ironically, I would expect someone who was so concerned to actually know that.

 

[mhsjax]

Do you not get that single-use disposable items are different than cars or phones that get used for years?

It isn't all or nothing, sure, but just b/c I still have a car (w/ great gas mileage that is 7 years old) doesn't mean I can't make a lot of other good choices.

Your "argument" just makes no sense. You are basically saying, we either need to be perfect or say screw it and do whatever we want, who cares about waste and impact.

Using Kcups is comparable to using paper towels, disposable diapers, paper napkins, individual water bottles, & plastic grocery bags not driving a car or having a phone.

I must be really bad, I used all of the above. Oh and I drive a huge Suburban and I love it. However, I do refill my plastic water bottles, yeah I know you shouldn't. I use paper towels as little as possible, but I wonder how much water I would be wasting because of washing all my cloth towels if I didn't use them at all. I only drive when I have to and I combine trips. Sorry but I will continue to use convenience items, but I do conserve where I can. But I would never wash dirty diapers and I hate reusable grocery bags. I also have more than enough laundry to do with 3 kids all very active in sports, I don't need any more laundry.

 

[SaraJayne]

Just because you have a Keurig doesn't mean you are using Kcups.

Sorry to point out what people are deliberately ignoring in this thread.

 

[Swirly girls]

I personally love these,however I have to say they are a piece of junk for what they cost!
I've had 2 in the last year.... A basic black, and a pretty cinnamon colored one. Both were working great one day, the day, they quite working.... No apparent reason. I'm not hard on our stuff, and take good care if things .... So, it wasn't due to abuse.
I switched back to cuisinart. At least I can rest assured I'll have this maker for tbe next 4 years ( at least)

Oh, and these DO cost WAY more to use than the normal makers. But, they make the K Cups for them -- makes sense to use at least some of the time.

 

[jgreco]

You don't have to be a tree-hugger to know that garbage has to go somewhere.

 

[jenrose66]

It boggles my mind how few of you seem to care about the waste you create. It does matter. Every little bit adds up. Every k cup, every bag, every diaper.

Am I perfect? No. However, I try very much to reduce our waste and carbon footprint. We use cloth bags, cloth diapers, no paper towels, no paper napkins, etc. These are easy, simple changes everyone could do.

I think it's funny that self-described coffee snobs are drinking kcups. It's fine coffee, but I wouldn't call it coffee snob level.

If you only drink one cup and are so concerned about wasting coffee from a drip pot, just get a French press. Much better results, no waste & they come is many sizes.

I wish most disposable one time use things were either banned or super super expensive so people would think twice.

The pp who said we are sacrificing everything for the sake of convenience is right. Just because you can afford to buy something doesn't mean it isn't wasteful or have an impact on the earth or a person.

I agree with you. We are a very wasteful society. I also agree that a french press makes a delicious cup of coffee

 

[Evi]

Thanks for letting me know what my post content should include, so helpful.

If your carbon footprint is so much smaller than mine, presumably you care very much about the environment as well - so why not share what you do to reduce your footprint, maybe we could all learn a few things!

How would you suggest we change minds? Isn't offering your story part of that process? Isn't discussion and debate part of it as well?

I was responding in part to the posters who were basically saying, "Kcups are no big deal, what about diapers/bags/pads,etc." My point was, some of use who are anti kcup already do all of those things. My point was also that it is very easy to make small changes that add up to a bigger impact. Because those smaller things do certainly add up.



Global warming aside, I'm not debating the naysayers on that, can you (the general you) not see that waste that can't be composted or recycled as to go somewhere? The more you produce, the more that has to be processed/stored.

I am not aware of any very quick and also good tasting way to make coffee that produces little to no waste, if it exists, I'd love to know. Using a french press takes less than 10 minutes. Cold brew coffee is very little hands on time, maybe 2-3 minutes, but does need to sit several hours or over night.

More then happy to share how I ensure a small carbon footprint. I should add I use kcups daily and yes we recycle them. I also don't believe I am saving the world. I just choose to make educated responsible decisions about how my existence effects our environment. I am a firm believer that people can and should do what they can that is within their means to live healthier and have a minimal impact on the environment. I am blessed to be able to do some of the things we have done to reduce our carbon footprint and know that from a financial perspective not all of what we do is feasible within every budget. If anyone is interested in ways to reduce waste, natural cleaning product recommendations information on a EV a solar system or anything else I post by all means feel free to pm me I'm more then happy to share my experiences with others.

I drive an EV, I pay for windfarm supplied electric and we are in the process of having solar panels added to our home so as to ensure that we are not offesting gas with carbon, every light in my home except for 3 little bulbs are led's, all my appliances are energy efficient (beginning this spring we will be receiving all of our electrical needs from solar power). We participate in a food coop, summer and fall csa's and buy as much as we can from local farmers markets. I have an organic garden where I am able to compost most of our veggie scraps we also use rain barrels to provide water for our garden and plants. I use all natural cleaners in my home and reusable cleaning cloths. My list really could go on and on but I do think you get the point.

My comment about carbon footprints was not a challenge, the point was don't knock others for how they choose to live their lives. I make a choice to live my life the way I do and I admire others who do so but I don't judge those who don't because in truth it takes effort and it takes a desire to see and make those kinds of changes in your lifestyle, especially in such a consumeristic society.

 

[SaraJayne]

I personally love these,however I have to say they are a piece of junk for what they cost!
I've had 2 in the last year.... A basic black, and a pretty cinnamon colored one. Both were working great one day, the day, they quite working.... No apparent reason. I'm not hard on our stuff, and take good care if things .... So, it wasn't due to abuse.
I switched back to cuisinart. At least I can rest assured I'll have this maker for tbe next 4 years ( at least)

Oh, and these DO cost WAY more to use than the normal makers. But, they make the K Cups for them -- makes sense to use at least some of the time.

We've had ours for over three years, it is used daily and we've never had one issue with it (Platinum model).

 

[leahjade]

Some programs just make people FEEL better - they don't really work.
By sending around city trucks to pick up glass, paper, and plastic actually consumes more energy than it saves. And it may even pollute the air more than just pitching this stuff in the trash.

A recent study in California found that it takes as many trucks to collect four to eight pounds of recyclables that a typical household generates as it does to pickup the 40 pounds of refuse created by the same residence. Los Angeles officials now figure the city's fleet of garbage trucks is twice as large as it would be without recycling, 800 rather than 400 trucks. Similar economics are at work in cities everywhere.

Reader's Digest had a very interesting article about recycling a few years ago and how a majority of what we put out in our bins each which gets thrown in the landfills anyway.
Another case in point where some people think they are saving the planet - hybrid vehicles use more energy during their useful years than their gasoline counter parts. So if you really care about the environment, you might want to think twice before choosing your next vehicle. A conventional vehicle with a reasonably sized engine might be a wiser choice.
But I guess it's more important to FEEL BETTER than to actually do anything useful.

 

[katied718]

I personally love these,however I have to say they are a piece of junk for what they cost!
I've had 2 in the last year.... A basic black, and a pretty cinnamon colored one. Both were working great one day, the day, they quite working.... No apparent reason. I'm not hard on our stuff, and take good care if things .... So, it wasn't due to abuse.
I switched back to cuisinart. At least I can rest assured I'll have this maker for tbe next 4 years ( at least)

Oh, and these DO cost WAY more to use than the normal makers. But, they make the K Cups for them -- makes sense to use at least some of the time.

For anyone else who might have this issue-the machines are sensitive to mineral buildup. Definately need to use filtered water & get the carbon filter that you put in the reservoir. After calling keurig when ours stopped working they sent us out a brand new one. They have top-notch service!! We now use the filter & haven't had any issues at all.

 

[ssawka]

I think it's funny that self-described coffee snobs are drinking kcups. It's fine coffee, but I wouldn't call it coffee snob level.

I guess we are really coffee snobs! We have a Grind 'n Brew for days we are home together for breakfast, a Keurig for mornings we are not and for our afternoon "pick me ups", and I have a French Press for making Cold Brew in the Summer. All three methods have their uses and which one we choose depends on the situation.

Well sorry, but when I hear about global warming and I experience here in Florida, our first freeze in October, that theory goes right out the window. Not to mention watching the weather up north. So anything that come out of the mouths of these scientists, falls on deaf ears.

Global Warming does not mean it will be warmer everywhere! It means the atmosphere is heating, which is causing climatic changes. You can't deny that the climate is changing and that storms are getting much more dramatic.

 

[Evi]

Some programs just make people FEEL better - they don't really work.
By sending around city trucks to pick up glass, paper, and plastic actually consumes more energy than it saves. And it may even pollute the air more than just pitching this stuff in the trash.

A recent study in California found that it takes as many trucks to collect four to eight pounds of recyclables that a typical household generates as it does to pickup the 40 pounds of refuse created by the same residence. Los Angeles officials now figure the city's fleet of garbage trucks is twice as large as it would be without recycling, 800 rather than 400 trucks. Similar economics are at work in cities everywhere.

Reader's Digest had a very interesting article about recycling a few years ago and how a majority of what we put out in our bins each which gets thrown in the landfills anyway.
Another case in point where some people think they are saving the planet - hybrid vehicles use more energy during their useful years than their gasoline counter parts. So if you really care about the environment, you might want to think twice before choosing your next vehicle. A conventional vehicle with a reasonably sized engine might be a wiser choice.
But I guess it's more important to FEEL BETTER than to actually do anything useful.

I'm not driving hybrid I'm driving an electric vehicle. I think you need to take a bigger look into what car studies you came across as not all ev are designed alike. I also would love to know how many cities were studied for that report as some cities use cleaner vehicles for their recycling trucks. I'm not sure how you can make such a large blanket statement. I find it beyond incredibly ridiculous that you think it would be ok to pitch plastic in the trash instead of recycling it. I guess your from the school that everything you read online is true. Its always better to get multiple resources on any subject matter. Again perhaps some people FEEL BETTER about doing nothing and support those actions buy choosing to believe everything they read.

 

[JB2K]

On a board ruled by hot dog casseroles and coupon trains, I find the notion of BBers clarmoring for a Keurig to be...well...quite the opposite...

As for the Kuerig, itself -- I am not a big-time coffee drinker, so buying one of these would not be economically-friendly for me. As for OP's "earth-friendly" post -- I'm guessing those little plastic cups are recycleable (can't users just put them in a bin, or am I missing something, here?).

 

[JB2K]

...especially in such a consumeristic society.

Yes, we live in a consumeristic society, which is evident by the thousands of posts seen on the BB -- let's face it, eveyone is here to get (acquire) something on the cheap.

And on a broader scale, when it comes to consumer products, there are few bigger players in the game than Disney, who makes a huge chunk of their money licensing their characters' likenesses to hundreds of different companies.

 

[pooh4evr]

We got one last yr from MIL, for Christmas, at first I was like what the heck DH drinks coffee at work but other than that we don't have coffee at home. But now we use it almost everyday, we have the red k cup reusable thing that we use for coffees, and I have changed from the hot chocolate cups to just heating water for instant hot chocolate, (our girls love that) but I do use the k cups for tea!
I like the machine overall!

 

[melancholywings]

How is this different than say tampons, or the plastic cups of sauce they give you at fast food places? To preach about coffee while ignore all of those seems questionable.

 

[leahjade]

I find it beyond incredibly ridiculous that you think it would be ok to pitch plastic in the trash instead of recycling it.

Sorry to break it to you but only about 10% of plastic sent to recycling centers ever is recycled. Cardboard and aluminum cans do much better, but the fact is that there has to be someone willing to buy the material and costs are often prohibitive for companies to reuse the plastic.
Economist Steven Landsburg has suggested that the sole benefit of reducing landfill space is ruined by the energy needed and resulting pollution from the recycling process (not to mention the extra truck that has to come around to my neighborhood twice a week).
San Jose, California reported that it cost them $28 per ton to place waste into a landfill and $147 per ton to recycle. Larger cities like NY and Los Angeles fare even worse.

 

[tourguide81]

How is this different than say tampons, or the plastic cups of sauce they give you at fast food places? To preach about coffee while ignore all of those seems questionable.

That was the whole point if my post. There are non disposable solutions for most of these things. I may not be able to eliminate all waste, but I can minimize it. So I will continue to maintain that kcups are wasteful. If you are wishing to minimize your waste from tampons & pads, there are plenty of options - diva cup, Luna cup, the keeper & mama cloth. Just like there are rags, cloth napkins & cloth diapers. Am I saving the world? No. But I fail to see how reducing my waste & energy consumption doesn't help at all.

Re: fast food plastics - good point. I do reuse containers that take out comes in. We rarely get fast food, but now I will think twice about the little packets & whatnot.

 

[angierae]

I asked for a Keurig for Christmas. I am the only person that drinks coffee in my house, and even with my 4 cup Cuisinart (the smallest one we could find), I throw half the coffee away. I don't drink coffee at home every morning, and all day long at work I use the free coffee that is provided to me.

So a Keurig is totally worth it for me. Plus, I also asked for the reusable cup, which is what i'll be using with my Tim Hortons coffee. I did get a set of the kcups to try out but I doubt we'll be buying them in any large quantity.

 

[tourguide81]

More then happy to share how I ensure a small carbon footprint. I should add I use kcups daily and yes we recycle them. I also don't believe I am saving the world. I just choose to make educated responsible decisions about how my existence effects our environment. I am a firm believer that people can and should do what they can that is within their means to live healthier and have a minimal impact on the environment. I am blessed to be able to do some of the things we have done to reduce our carbon footprint and know that from a financial perspective not all of what we do is feasible within every budget. If anyone is interested in ways to reduce waste, natural cleaning product recommendations information on a EV a solar system or anything else I post by all means feel free to pm me I'm more then happy to share my experiences with others.

I drive an EV, I pay for windfarm supplied electric and we are in the process of having solar panels added to our home so as to ensure that we are not offesting gas with carbon, every light in my home except for 3 little bulbs are led's, all my appliances are energy efficient (beginning this spring we will be receiving all of our electrical needs from solar power). We participate in a food coop, summer and fall csa's and buy as much as we can from local farmers markets. I have an organic garden where I am able to compost most of our veggie scraps we also use rain barrels to provide water for our garden and plants. I use all natural cleaners in my home and reusable cleaning cloths. My list really could go on and on but I do think you get the point.

My comment about carbon footprints was not a challenge, the point was don't knock others for how they choose to live their lives. I make a choice to live my life the way I do and I admire others who do so but I don't judge those who don't because in truth it takes effort and it takes a desire to see and make those kinds of changes in your lifestyle, especially in such a consumeristic society.

Well, aside from an electric vehicle & solar panels, I do everything else you do. Looks like we are coming from the same place, just sharing info differently.

Does it take effort? Yes. But not that much. When someone refuses to try to do better and/or chooses not to make a better decision, I do judge that.