Both Nespresso and Keurig are responsible for pioneering the world of coffee capsules as well as popularizing a coffee preparation method that, according to a 2021 study published by Science Direct, accounts for more emissions than any other. That accounts not just for the form that the coffee comes from — which in the case of Nespresso and Keurig are single use K-Cups and Nespresso pods — and the greenhouse gases and subsequent waste they produce, but also where and how the coffee itself is sourced.
The first way consumers experience a product is its packaging, but it’s also the last. And when it comes to the sustainability of coffee pods, it’s as much about what the packaging is made from as it is about where it goes when you’re done with it. At the same time, packaging alone cannot determine the overall sustainability of any product. It’s equally as important to consider what comes inside of it. In the case of Nespresso and Keurig, that happens to be coffee: a product that’s equally as much of a victim to climate change as it is a contributor to it.
According to 2023 data from Statista, coffee pod machines are not only the most unsustainable way to prepare coffee but also the preferred method for nearly 30% of coffee drinkers. So it’s important for customers to understand how the leading brands compare when it comes the environment so that they can make an informed decision, even though neither brand is perfect.
Nespresso offers sustainable packaging and pod recycling, while Keurig’s vision is still in the works
While Keurig claims that all of its plastic K-Cups have been 100% recyclable since 2020 and provides customers with the K-Cycle recycling bins to do so, the company was forced to pay a settlement of $1.5 million in 2024 after the Securities and Exchange Commission determined that it had misled its customers by greatly exaggerating that number. This was after two of the largest recycling companies in the U.S. — which together account for a third of all the recycling facilities in the country — revealed “significant negative feedback” about the K-Cup’s recyclability, and determined they’d no longer accept them for recycling (per NPR). Keurig claims to have a vision for a more sustainable future for its products, and the brand is working on developing a completely plastic and aluminum free alternative that it calls K-Rounds. The thing is, they aren’t available yet.
Nespresso, on the other hand, has offered a recycling system for all of its aluminum pods since its inception in Switzerland in 1991. Customers who purchase their pods directly from the Nespresso site can add recycling bags to their order free of charge. After use, the bag of Nespresso pods can be dropped off at UPS, where they’ll be shipped off to an approved recycling facility at no cost to the customer. Additionally, Nespresso also offers paper pods, which are not only recyclable but also compostable from home. In fact, doing so could seriously upgrade your composting pile.
Nespresso coffee comes with a special certification
When it comes to coffee pods, it’s not just about the packaging that the cups are made from, it’s also about the coffee inside. Nespresso coffee holds a special certification known as B Corp status, which requires that it be verified by the nonprofit B Lab, an organization that created a rating system known as GIIRS (Global Impact Investing Rating System) which measures the social impact of any company’s chain of operations. Using what it calls a “B Impact Assessment,” B Corp companies are designed to build environmental protections into their legal framework, covering Nespresso’s entire supply chain and operations.
Like any other sustainable coffee label, the B Corp certification has been critiqued — specifically for its reliance on self-assessments. Nespresso itself received backlash in an open letter posted by hundreds of other B Corp companies and with the support of the Fair World Project in 2022, citing the company’s human rights and environmental violations. Similarly, Keurig claims to deliver 100% responsibly sourced coffee by partnering with organizations like Fair Trade Certified and Rainforest Alliance.
While no single coffee label guarantees 100% responsibility, Keurig is also a member of the Global Coffee platform, a multi-stakeholder association that has developed mechanisms to lay out and measure responsible coffee sourcing systems. But that isn’t to say that either coffee capsule brand is perfect — and as with any coffee label, preparation method, or certification, a scot-free supply chain cannot be guaranteed.
Find out how fair trade coffee differs from regular coffee here.
