Opinions on having a morning cup of joe from a disposable coffee pod tend to be pretty divisive—you either love K-Cups or hate ‘em. But as of this week, personal opinions no longer matter for residents of one German city.
Hamburg has officially banned all coffee pods (including K-Cups) from government buildings, citing their negative environmental impact, according to CNN. But is your Keurig brew really that bad? Well, kinda.
Here are four real concerns about getting your caffeine fix from a coffee pod.
1. They Produce a Ton of Waste
Those little cups may not seem like a big deal, but think about how often you have to empty the Keurig bin at the office—those babies pile up fast. For every six grams of coffee, you’re looking at about three grams of waste—much less efficient than sticking with a more traditional brew. To put it in perspective, in 2014 Mother Jones estimated that we disposed of enough K-Cups to wrap around the world 10.5 times. Damn.
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2. They Aren’t Biodegradable
Since they contain more than one type of material, K-Cups are extremely difficult to recycle. In an effort to be more eco-friendly, Keurig has promised to make their cups recyclable—but not until 2020. Until then, you’ll have to separate the aluminum top from the plastic cup yourself and then find a special recycling service.
3. They Contain Aluminum
The fact that K-Cups contain aluminum is also not great for the environment. Even if all that aluminum doesn’t end up in a landfill (and that can pile up with some serious speed), recycling aluminum produces some toxic byproducts that have to be buried in a landfill anyway. Not a problem you have to deal with if you’re using an old-fashioned coffee filter.
4. They Could Pose a Hazard to Your Health
K-Cups have been confirmed to be BPA-free and made of “safe” plastic, but some studies show that even this type of material can have harmful effects when heated. When you come into contact with these plastic chemicals, they can act like estrogen in your body, throwing your hormones out of whack.
Macaela MacKenzie is a journalist who writes about women and power. She covers women’s equality through the lenses of sports, wellness, and the gender gap across industries and is the author of MONEY, POWER, RESPECT: How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism. Mac was most recently a Senior Editor at Glamour where she directed all health and wellness coverage. Her work has appeared in Elle, Glamour, SELF, Bustle, Marie Claire, Allure, Women's Health, and Forbes among other publications.
