Keurig coffee makers are as simple as simple gets but the pod coffee machines have always been knocked for causing a certain amount of plastic waste. Today, Keurig unveiled a prototype for fully compostable plant-based K-Rounds, a new type of sustainable single-serve pod to be used in the brand’s new Keurig Alta, also unveiled today. Both the Alta and K-Rounds will begin beta testing later this year for a potential launch in 2025.
I got to see, touch and smell the new K-Rounds alongside the Keurig Alta at a press preview in New York. The new K-Rounds are essentially pressed coffee grounds wrapped in a mostly invisible plant-based coating. While the company is still waiting for its application to move through the system, Keurig Chairman and CEO Bob Gamgort told me that they expect the K-Rounds to be certified compostable before they come to market.
The Keurig Alta will brew both the new compostable K-Roundd as well as existing plastic K-Cups.
Pricing was not yet available for the Alta or K-Rounds but we’re told the plastic-free pods will be sold at a premium when they launch later this year. They’re also shelf-stable for up to 6 months. Once a package of pods is opened, the pods are counter-stable for just 30 days before quality begins to deteriorate.
So when will the plastic-free Keurig pods be available?
Keurigs new K-Round pods will be available in four sizes to accommodate various types of coffee.
