K Cups April 1, 2008

I don’t have any official statistics, but it seems like these days every other office has a single-serve coffee machine like this one and the communal coffee pot has gone the way of the typewriter.

So an office buys the above contraption along with any of the 100 varieties of coffees and teas that come in these little plastic “K Cups”with foil lids, which are packaged in boxes of 24. Now each employee can have their own personal cup of Brazilian Mocha Java or Organic Green Tea. But at what expense to the environment (not to mention the office)?

The machine is pretty simple - you put the cup in the machine, close the door, and push the magic green button. Inside the drawer, the machine pokes a hole in the foil top of the Cup and in the plastic bottom, shoots water through it (brewing your coffee or tea), dispenses the beverage into your awaiting cup and then disposes of the Cup. It takes about 10 seconds and I would guess that an average office of 100 people go through about 100 of these Cups a day. It makes absolutely no sense to me that something that is used for 10 seconds will be sitting in a landfill for over 100 years.

The thing is — these Cups are not recyclable. I found a link to the Environmental Practicesfor Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, who owns a large share of the Keurig Corp. and manufactures K Cups, and they report that over 1 BILLION of these Cups have been sold since the product’s introduction. It is likely that all of these are in a landfill. They do report that they are exploring more green options for their product. Firstly, they are researching alternatives to the petroleum-based materials that make up the K Cup. Secondly, they are linking the K Cups with fair trade certified coffees, which will provide a sales boost to coffee producers who concentrate on sustainability. As an alternative, a reusable K Cup is available for about $20.

So if we can’t recycle K Cups directly — can we REUSE them? Here are some ideas.

1. Reuse for up to 4 more drinks!

After the coffee machine ejects your K Cup, go into the disposal bin and get it! I tried this with tea and coffee and found that I could get up to 4 cups of equal-strength drinks from the same K Cup. I probably could have gotten more but there were quite a bit of grounds in the cup after the 4th try.

2. Refill!

Using Glad Press and Seal wrap you can refill the K Cups with your own coffee grounds. Or try the K Cup Injector Lid.

3. Plant a tree!

Well, start growing some seeds at least. The drainage holes that the machine pokes in the bottom of each cups lends itself to this nicely.

Anyone have any others?

This week’s DIY – Mouthwash March 25, 2008

As my co-workers can easily attest to, I have a slight obsession with buying unusual beauty and haircare products. But what they don’t know is my other obsession with using natural household products in my daily skincare and haircare routine.

I will be starting a weekly feature on how to incorporate common household products into your beauty routine, and also how to make your own products too. Ken asked last week about how to make your own mouthwash so I found a few recipes. Most just involve simple combinations of baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, herbs, and/or oils. I will have to try these!

BASIC MOUTHWASH FORMULAS

1. Mix 2 ounces of Water, 1/4 Teaspoon of baking soda or sea salt, 1 drop of pure peppermint oil, and 1 drop of tea tree oil.

2. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in an 8-ounce glass of water, swish, and spit it out.

If you want a recipe that’s a bit more involved, try the following:

BASIC ALCOHOL FREE HERBAL MOUTHWASH FORMULA
(http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-your-own-mouthwash.html) 

INGREDIENTS
1 ounce cloves or powdered myrrh OR 2 to 4 ounces goldenseal or rosemary
2 cups boiling water

1. Place the plant materials in a pint mason jar and cover with the boiling water.
2. Let steep overnight, then strain.
3. Swish around in the mouth and then spit out.

The basic science behind the above is that the baking soda (NaSO4) neutralizes the acidic bacteria in your mouth, eliminating bad breath. Tea tree and peppermint oil have antibacterial and antifungal properties that aid in reducing bad breath as well. You can also add a bit of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to these for added whitening and cleansing.