Let’s talk about something that is close to all our hearts: coffee.
It is the substance sustaining throngs of college kids through brutal 8 a.m. economics classes and late nights of chemistry labs. Many of us would insert it ?intravenously if we thought it could wake us up faster.
So, when Keurig told us all we could have any coffee we want in the convenience of a disposable plastic cup and two minutes of Keurig magic, we didn’t question it. Yet, within the seemingly perfect K-cup, an environmental disaster brews.
As it turns out, this great advance in caffeine technology, commonly referred to as plastic, is predictably and horrifically wasteful.
The cups are small, expensive and not recyclable. Now they are piling up in our landfills across the country. In a report last week, National Public Radio states that Keurig produced over 18 billion K-cups in the last two years alone and over 60 billion cups riddle our landfills — hardly a fair trade for expediency.
Several competitors have tried to create pods that are recyclable, but the Editorial Board questions the effectiveness of such an effort. Sure, making a recyclable option might be a good public relations move, but in reality, most of these will fall victim of the same laziness as the current brand.
Let us also be reminded how many Starbucks cups we thoughtlessly toss into the trash on a daily basis. We are wasteful and we are careless.
In the eyes of the Editorial Board, though, it is not the material these cups are made of that is problematic, but the fact they exist in the first place.
No one denies their convenience, and even the most ardent environmental activist is likely guilty of indulging in the simplicity of a single-serve brew. But is it really worth it? Is it really that hard to use a coffee filter? Should making coffee more convenient really be the focus of some of our brightest scientists and engineers?
The obvious answer would be no, but we don’t always do obvious here in America. It is the dark truth of American consumerism and will require bold action to resolve. Too often we use our ingenuity and research dollars to make life marginally easier for those who can afford it or develop unnecessary medications to treat questionable ailments.
The absurdity of it all reaches its peak when put against the backdrop of the climate change debate.
While our lawmakers argue over well-established science and scholars search for ways to solve the problems our generation will face, we continue to dump money into materialistic advances and flock to the stores.
We can’t solve these issues overnight. But it is time that we put ?sustainability over sheer convenience and comfort. Addressing the vast problems we face will take a concentrated effort and a refocusing of our resources and talents.
If we put the same energy into developing alternative fuels or reversing carbon emissions as we do our materialistic desires, it may just be possible.
Until then, we can at least do our world one little favor.
So, seriously people, just use a ?filter. Let’s kill the K-cup.
