Keurig finally introduces recyclable K-Cups

For the coffee lovers out there, Keurig may have been one of the best things to happen to the hot drink since Starbucks. The handy little pods allow you to make a single cup of Joe in the flavor of your choice, in short order. Unfortunately the pods are made from a non-recyclable plastic, which means that they continue to pile up in landfills everywhere.

The fact that the individual K-Cups can't be recycled has lead the inventor to regret ever creating them. In fact, he's stated that he doesn't even use them himself, as he prefers to stick to an old-fashioned drip coffee maker. However, a recent breakthough might just make him feel a little better about his invention. His company has finally found a way to make K-Cups that can be recycled.

The new pods will be made from polypropylene, instead of the #7 plastic that has been used for the last decade. After roughly a decade of research, the team at Keurig settled on polypropylene, as it's the only material that meets all of their specifications. Namely, it needs to create a strong oxygen barrier, while being strong enough to withstand the pressure of being used in the machine.

Keurig will be bringing these new polypropylene cups to market by the end of the year. The transition will be a slow one, as they intend to have half of all K-Cups using the new design by 2018, and by 2020 they plan on having all K-Cups using the recyclable material.

VIA: Geek