Coffee pod manufacturers have long sought ways to reduce waste from single-use products. Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), a leader in the coffee pod market, introduced AltaRounds, a new method of brewing coffee designed to cut waste significantly. Instead of traditional plastic or aluminum, AltaRounds use compressed coffee wrapped in a seaweed-based coating sourced from France.
The puck-shaped capsules are packaged eight per box and are priced at $1.37 each, aligning with the cost of the company’s standard K-Cup pods. Monique Oxender, KDP’s chief sustainability officer, explained that AltaRounds can be discarded like regular coffee grounds, ideal for composting. “I use them in my garden and on my houseplants,” she noted.
“They’re obviously great in compost and that’s where we’d like to see them go,” said Monique Oxender.
Recycling coffee pods has proven difficult. In 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fined KDP $1.5 million for misleading claims about the recyclability of their pods. Two major recycling facilities had refused to accept them. Meanwhile, the coffee pod market continues to grow, valued at $40.5 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $58.2 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.
A staggering number of pods—nearly 40,000 every minute—are created globally, with over 20 billion discarded annually, as reported by Earth911. While some coffee companies explore compostable options, they face challenges regarding complete decomposition and the lack of processing infrastructure. A UK regulator even stopped two companies from labeling their pods as compostable, requiring industrial facilities for breakdown.
“The problem lies in the infrastructure and the economy of recycling and composting,” stated James Sternberg from Clemson University.
AltaRounds do not require industrial composting; they can biodegrade at home like regular coffee grounds, taking 12-16 weeks to disintegrate, and fully decompose within six months. However, using them requires a new coffee maker. The Keurig Alta, designed to brew espresso and AltaRounds, retails for $499.99, bundled with four boxes of AltaRounds and glassware—a total retail value of $650. By comparison, a traditional K-Cup brewer costs $219.99.
The initial launch features six varieties: single shot medium roast espresso, double shot dark roast espresso, and other roast flavors. KDP is not the first to use compressed coffee pods. They licensed the seaweed-based coating from Delica’s CoffeeB system, a Swiss innovation aiming to eliminate plastic waste. Neha Mallik of Keurig highlighted the coating’s sustainability and efficiency in preserving the coffee’s freshness.
“We needed something to protect this during shipping and distribution,” Mallik explained.
While KDP has not committed to phasing out the traditional K-Cup, Oxender mentioned the potential shift would depend on consumer demand. She emphasized that consumer feedback will guide their direction.