Opinion: Framing the ‘Green’ Coffee Capsule Debate

We are sure that by now, you have read the news about Hamburg’s city government banning the purchase of coffee pods.

Under a new environment-saving scheme, all state-run buildings will be banned from picking up Nespresso capsules, as well as other less-than-green items such as bottled water and plastic cutlery.

Quite rightly, this has shifted the debate on convenience coffee – to coin a phrase – and its lack of green credentials. “I think it continues to reinforce a point of view that many people feel enough is enough,” said Brian Kubicki.

People, he continued, are tired of the profligate waste associated with these popular single-serve pods and are beginning to look for a more sustainable alternative.

The move by the Hamburg government only reinforces that train of thought.

However, Keurig, one of the biggest manufacturers of capsule machines, remained stoic in the face of increased media exposure when they talked about the future, not the current.

With a market value of $11.4bn and sales of $5bn, the company is one of the biggest in the entire coffee sector.

“Our Keurig brewers and K-Cup pods are not currently sold in Germany and are therefore not impacted by the city of Hamburg’s recent ban,” Cynthia Shanks, a senior communications manager told Yahoo.

“We have a stated goal to have [our] K-Cup pods to be recyclable by 2020.”

By standing still to some extent and allowing the media to take the front foot, they have opened up space for their smaller rivals to get their voices heard.

Kubicki (quoted earlier) is the vice president of marketing at the US-based Massimo Zanetti Beverage (MZB) Group. MZB, along with the Canadian coffee roasters Club Coffee and researchers at the University of Guelph, are trying to design a compostable single-use coffee pod.

“We have developed a new solution for people interested in the convenience of single-serve but not interested in the waste at the back end of it.”

But back to Europe. Nespresso is the market-leader over there and their response contrasted that of Keurig’s. The Nestle-affiliated company that is as synonymous with George Clooney as it is with coffee pushed its recycling initiatives whilst also admitting that they could do more.

In the battle of ‘green’ coffee, they took a PR hammering but managed the situation well by pushing their positive and progressive schemes. They’ve managed to keep the focus on themselves, unlike Keurig who allowed room for upstart competitors to land additional body blows.