The Ultimate Guide to Recycling K-Cups, Nespresso Capsules, and Other Coffee Pods

With a little effort, you can make your coffee habit greener

By Daniel Wroclawski

Single-use coffee pods and discs are more popular than ever. In 2020, 25 percent of U.S. adults used coffee capsules (such as pods and discs) to make their coffee, according to the National Coffee Association and Statista, a market research firm. That’s an increase of 5 percent from 2015, and 10 percent from 2012. If we do some rough math based on the 2020 U.S. adult population, that means about 64.6 million used coffee pods are thrown out or recycled every day.

While many coffee pods are now recyclable, including all Keurig K-Cups as of 2020, it’s unclear whether people are following through with recycling, because of the extra effort involved. For example, recycling a K-Cup requires peeling off the foil top, emptying out the grounds, and rinsing the empty pod before adding it to your recycling bin. It’s not exactly as convenient as just tossing the used pod in the trash.

In fact, Keurig is now working on making it easier to peel the foil top off its pods, in turn making them easier to recycle. But the best solution to coffee pod waste is to ditch pod coffee makers altogether and switch to other coffee-brewing methods, such as a French press or a drip coffee maker. It’s better not only for the environment but also for your wallet, because coffee pods cost more than preground or whole-bean coffee.

If you aren’t interested in kicking the pod habit, though, it’s important to know how to recycle these little coffee containers. In addition to Keurig K-Cups, Nespresso coffee pods (or capsules, as the company calls them) are recyclable. These are made of aluminum rather than plastic. Pods for the lesser-known Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Tassimo T-Disc pod coffee makers can also be recycled.

Even some pods considered nonrecyclable can be recycled with a little effort. In most cases, it comes down to a pod’s plastic shell.

Which Plastics Can You Recycle?

First, you’ll want to know the gauge of plastic in a pod. Look on the package for the number within the recycling symbol’s triangle. Plastics are categorized from 1 to 7, but not all can be recycled. For a full explanation, see Eartheasy’s Plastics by the Numbers.

Check with your town’s recycling center or sanitation department to see which plastics it accepts.

Recyclable K-Cups are made from No. 5 plastic, or polypropylene. Prior to 2020, many K-Cups were considered nonrecyclable because they were made from No. 7 plastic, which is a catchall for any plastic not categorized from 1 through 6.

“Polypropylene is accepted in a lot of curbside recycling programs,” says Dylan de Thomas, vice president of industry collaboration for the Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit that promotes recycling. But there aren’t many towns that accept No. 7 plastic. He says that’s because there just isn’t a robust market for the material.

Depending on your town’s recycling rules and the types of coffee pods you use, you have a few options beyond the trash can. You can separate the components of the pod, some of which you can recycle and some of which are waste. You can also keep the convenience of pods but switch to a reusable pod coffee filter.

“Or if you’re really concerned about the waste, you could switch to a single-serve drip coffee maker instead,” says Ginny Lui, who oversees CR’s coffee-maker tests. (See our full coffee maker ratings for some recommendations.)

Below, we break down how to recycle coffee pods from four of the most popular brands. Keep in mind that in all cases, you could also compost the coffee grounds, which is great for gardens and landscaping.

Keurig K-Cups

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As mentioned above, all Keurig K-Cup pods are now recyclable. If you’re still skeptical, just check the bottom of the pod for a recycling symbol with the number 5. To recycle K-Cup pods, start by peeling off the aluminum foil top. Toss the grounds, aluminum top, and paper filter, then rinse the plastic pod and add it to your recycling bin.

Keurig Barista Prima Coffeehouse Colombia Medium-Dark Roast

Nescafé Dolce Gusto Pods

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Nescafé pods are made of No. 1 and No. 5 plastics, according to Nestlé, which makes Nescafé Dolce Gusto.

If you separate the individual components (two pieces of plastic film, coffee grounds, a foil layer, a plastic filter, and the plastic pod shell)—and your town recycles No. 1 and No. 5 plastics—you should be able to recycle the plastic filter and pod shell. However, you might need to carefully use a sharp edge to separate the components.

A potentially easier alternative is to use Nestlé’s pod recycling program, which was created in partnership with TerraCycle. You simply call Nestlé customer service and you will be sent a TerraCycle recycling box that you can fill with used pods and send back to be recycled.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto Morning Blend

Nespresso Coffee Capsules

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The pods for Nespresso’s OriginalLine and VertuoLine are made of aluminum and can be recycled (provided your town recycles other kinds of aluminum in addition to soda cans) if you empty the coffee grounds.

But the company encourages customers to use its own recycling channels, because not all towns recycle this type of aluminum. According to a Nespresso spokesperson, you have a few options. The company offers free pod-recycling bags (in stores and online) with prepaid UPS shipping labels. Those bags can be sent back to Nespresso from any UPS store or drop box.

You can also take used pods to any Nespresso Boutique or participating partner store, such as Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma. To find the closest recycling partner, use this Nespresso map tool.

Tassimo T-Discs

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Tassimo T-Discs, used by lesser-known Bosch Tassimo brewers, are recyclable. According to Lynne Galia, a representative from Kraft Heinz—which makes Tassimo—the plastic T-Disc shell can be recycled after removing the foil top, filter, and coffee grounds.

Tassimo Nabob 100% Colombian

A Tastier Alternative? Single-Serve Drip Machines.

If you’re concerned about your coffee habit’s environmental cost—and all this seems like too much work—check our coffee-maker ratings for one-mug drip machines. Here are some good candidates.

5 Things to Always Recycle

We love our planet, right? Then let’s stop trashing it. On the “Consumer 101” TV show, Consumer Reports reveals the five items you should always recycle rather than toss into the trash bin.

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