It is no secret that the big downside of the rise of the coffee pod machine has been the rise in coffee pods waste in our landfill sites.
Over 350million pods are used every year in the UK alone, and the market is set to grow by $8.08 million during 2020-2024, according to a report by Research and Markets.
They are often plastic or aluminium, struggle to be recycled because of the coffee waste still in them and therefore take years (around 200-500 to be precise) to break down. So, the introduction of compostable eco-friendly coffee pods is very welcomed.
Below are the best picks for compostable coffee pods, which don’t require any extra fuss.
Best Overall
Cameron’s Coffee Single Serve Pods
- Item Form: Pod
- Flavor: Organic Breakfast Blend
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
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Best Value
San Francisco Bay Compostable Coffee Pods
- Diet Type: Kosher
- Item Form: Pod
- Caffeine Content: Swiss Water Decaffeinated
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The Best Eco-Friendly Compostable Coffee Pods
Cameron’s Coffee Single Serve Pods
Specs:
- Item Form: Pod
- Flavor: Organic Breakfast Blend
- Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Main features
- Breakfast Blend, Donut Shop, Jamaican Blend, 10% Hawaiian Blend, Woods & Water
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Overview
Cameron’s is dedicated to crafting the perfect coffee for you to brew at home. As always, Cameron’s EcoPods use 100% specialty grade coffee brewed through a real coffee filter, not a plastic cup, to deliver a superior taste experience. We constantly invest in new technologies—whether that’s in our blends, on the farm, in our plant or even how your coffee is packaged for you to take home. Thankfully, the caffeine at Cameron’s keeps our creative juices going! Cameron’s Social Responsibility ensures that your coffee is both delicious and fairly sourced.
At Cameron’s we believe that every sip of coffee should be a taste experience. That’s why we craft every single blend from scratch—and we do it by hand. We’re not just talking about the beans themselves either: we also spend long hours researching how those beans were grown, ensuring that they’re grown in sustainable conditions. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pound of beans or a single pod: every aspect of each blend has been carefully considered and tested before it reaches your cup!
Pros
- Use a real coffee filter
- Made with all plant-based
- 100% Premium Arabica beans
Cons
- Has a bold taste
San Francisco Bay Compostable Coffee Pods
Specs:
- Diet Type Kosher
- Item Form Pod
- Caffeine Content Swiss Water Decaffeinated
Main features
- Eco friendly
- sourced from Central and South America arabica beans.
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Overview
We know you love coffee and we want to introduce you to a coffee that’s going to make your friends jealous. It’s San Francisco Bay Coffee and it’s available at great prices. We’ve developed a line of unique custom blends, exotic regional coffees, and single estate coffees available in single serve pods, whole bean, ground and unroasted green coffee. All of our ally and socially responsible coffees are offered at the best possible prices. We stand for eco-, sustainable, direct trade coffee at prices you’ll love.
We’ve spent years developing relationships with growers all over the world so that we can bring you the best beans that money can buy. We’ve got beans from Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya and more! We think our coffee is better than anything else out there because we’re committed to quality over quantity—and we’re committed to making sure that every pound of coffee comes from farms and plantations where workers are treated fairly and paid a living wage for their hard work.
Cons
- Price
Organic Coffee Co. Compostable Coffee Pods
Specs:
- Diet Type: Kosher
- Item Form: Pods
- Caffeine Content: Naturally Caffeinated
Main features
- Our most popular Central and South American beans perfectly blended to yield a delicious, satisfying coffee to look forward to in the morning.
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Overview
If you’re looking for a coffee that is pure, organic, and fair trade certified, then look no further. Our “Organic Coffee Co.” brand offers 100% organic beans and decaf coffee, as well as organic flavored coffees. As with all Rogers Family Company products, our coffee tastes so good because we go directly to the source to buy our coffee from premier farms in Central America and Africa , where sustainable farming practices are used.
We stand for premium, sustainable, fair and direct trade coffee – grown for good! We like to say our products are grown for good . Our Community Aid Program has restored thousands of acres of rainforest by farming only with shade grown farms and by planting our own coffee on our own organic farms in Panama .
Pros
- Airtight storage
- Value for money
- Compostable
Cons
- Supposed to be light but it’s pretty strong.
Chock Full o’Nuts Compatible Pods
Specs:
- Flavor: Manhattan Medium
- Caffeine Content: caffeinated
- Roast Level: medium_roast
Main features
- Rich blend of premium Arabica coffee beans that
- Perfectly blended
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Overview
Chock Full o’Nuts Midtown Manhattan Medium Roast, K-Cup Compatible Pods (20 Count) – Arabica Coffee in Eco-Friendly Keurig-Compatible Single Serve Cups
When you want a smooth, rich cup of coffee that’s bold and flavorful, you can’t go wrong with Chock Full o’Nuts Midtown Manhattan Medium Roast. With its rich blend of Arabica beans harvested from the top 1% of seeds and roasted to perfection for an intense flavor, this is one cup that will keep you coming back for more every morning.
Chock Full o’Nuts is one of the oldest coffee brands in America, and that’s because it’s been making quality coffee since 1930! Their focus on sustainability and using only the best ingredients has made them a favorite among customers who care about quality over all else.
If you’re looking for a new way to enjoy your morning cup of joe without having to make an entire pot or grind your own beans each time? This pack of 20 pods is perfect! Each pod contains 10 grams of ground coffee beans so there’s no need to measure out anything before brewing. Simply pop one into your Keurig machine and brew away!
Pros
- Airtight storage
- Value for money
- Flavorful
Cons
- Expensive, but not outrageous.
Boyd’s Lost Lake Decaf Coffee
Specs:
Item Form: Pods
Caffeine Content: Decaffeinated
Roast Level: Dark Roast
Main features
- Boyd’s Lost Lake is a full-bodied, dark roast coffee that is also 100% organic and free from caffeine
- Certified 100% compostable pods
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Overview
This medium-dark roast coffee is made using a simple, natural decaffeination process to produce a smooth cup of coffee any time of the day or night. Sourced from 100% Arabica coffee beans grown at high altitudes in Mexico, this coffee has dark chocolate notes and deep reaching flavor. Boyd’s single-serve pods are 100% compostable. The patented filter allows the water to completely saturate the coffee grounds – producing a richer taste and releasing the full aroma of your brewing coffee.
It’s easy to brew anywhere! This single serve pod makes up to 8 oz (250 ml) of hot, richly flavorful coffee with no mess or fuss. Simply place one pod in your brewer and enjoy a smooth cup of great tasting coffee within minutes!
Cons
- Top lid is too fat
Lavazza Leggero Lungo Capsules
Specs:
Item Form: Pod
Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Specialty: Kosher Certified
Main features
- 6 Packs of 10 single serve Nespresso pods with the Lavazza Leggero coffee blend (60 cups total)
- 100 percent Arabica; intensity is 4 out of 13
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Overview
The Lavazza Leggero Lungo Coffee Blend is a 100% South American Arabica blend created using the same proprietary process that has been perfected for over a century. This blend creates a pure medium roast with delicate hints of fruit and floral notes, creating a delightfully sippable cup of coffee quickly using a Nespresso OriginalLine machine.
Lavazza is Italy’s favorite coffee, and it’s no accident. Lavazza has been perfecting its blends of coffee beans from around the world for over a century, creating full-bodied sips with delicate hints of fruit and floral notes. The Lavazza Leggero Lungo Coffee Blend is no exception. A 100% South American Arabica blend creates a pure medium roast with a delicate and aromatic flavor. You’ll taste hints of fruity and floral notes with every full-bodied sip. This blend creates a delightfully sippable cup of coffee quickly using a Nespresso OriginalLine machine. Enjoy this true taste of Italy that is uniquely Lavazza!
Pros
- Giftable
- Value for money
- Flavorful
Cons
- Can only be brewed using a Nespresso OriginalLine machine
Brooklyn Beans Coffee Pods
Specs:
Diet Type: Gluten Free, Kosher
Flavor: Oh Fudge
Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Main features
- Small batch roasted
- 100% Percent Arabica beans, Kosher, Non GMO, Gluten Free, Recyclable Pods.
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Overview
You wake up thinking about chocolate. You spend hours each week sweating in spin class just so you can indulge. Brooklyn Bean Roastery feels ya’. This fudgy dream makes your taste buds do a somersault, but with none of the usual chocolate guilt. Creamy, dreamy chocolate undertones are the perfect complement to this heavenly gourmet
Pros
- 100% Arabica Coffee
- Easy to recycle
Cons
- Price
beaniac Compostable Plant-Based Coffee Pods
Specs:
Flavor: Big Buzz Variety Pack
Caffeine Content: Caffeinated
Roast Level: Medium Roast
Main features
- A mix of 100% Organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified Arabica coffees and naturally flavored premium roasted Organic Arabica coffee
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Overview
If you’re looking for a way to get your caffeine fix in an environmentally friendly way, look no further. This variety pack of coffee pods is made from compostable plant-based materials, and it’s certified by the Rainforest Alliance. Plus, it’s all natural and free of artificial flavors. Each pod is brewed at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, so it tastes just like your favorite coffee shop brew! The 75 pods come in three flavors: smooth and creamy vanilla latte, bold and rich caramel cappuccino, and sweet and tangy hazelnut mocha. Plus, they’re compatible with Keurig brewers.
You’ll never have to sacrifice flavor or convenience again when you choose this delicious alternative to traditional brewing methods. Enjoy one of these flavorful coffees at home or on the go—and do it in an eco-friendly way that doesn’t compromise on taste or quality!
Pros
- compostable
- Full On French Roast
- Organic Arabica Coffee
Cons
- Price
Mushroom Coffee K-Cups by Four Sigmatic
Specs:
Flavor: Think w/ Lion’s Mane
Caffeine: Content Caffeinated
Roast Level: Dark Roast
Main features
- 250mg of organic Lion’s Mane
- A functional, nootropic mushroom
- 15x more active ingredients than the mycelium
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Overview
Our Mushroom Coffee K-Cups are the perfect way to start your day. Our Organic and Fair Trade Dark Roast Coffee with Lion’s Mane, Chaga & Mushroom Powder will give you the focus and immune support you need to get through the day, while also providing a delicious burst of flavor that will leave you wanting more.
Each cup is made with vegan ingredients, so you can enjoy it no matter what your diet looks like. It’s also perfect for keto diets!
We know what it’s like to want a cup of coffee that tastes great but also supports your health goals—that’s why we created these pods. With our sustainable packaging, we’re helping to reduce our carbon footprint while making sure that our products stay fresh longer than other brands. And with each pod being individually wrapped in foil packaging, there’s no chance of cross-contamination or waste from opening multiple packs at once!
Pros
- Organic Fairtrade Coffee
- Fair-trade, single origin, 100% organic Arabica coffee
Cons
- A bit of a different taste but it’s definitely coffee.
San Francisco Bay Variety Pack Compostable Coffee Pods
Specs:
Diet Type: Kosher
Flavor: Variety Pack Flavored
Caffeine Content Naturally Caffeinated
Main features
- Caramel Coffee, Cinnamon Crumb Cake, French Vanilla, and Hazelnut Creme
- Specially designed for use with K-cup style single
- 100% arabica coffee and certified Kosher coffee beans
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Overview
You don’t have to be a coffee snob to know that San Francisco Bay Coffee OneCUP Flavored Variety Pack 40 Ct Compostable Coffee Pods, K Cup Compatible including Keurig 2.0, 1 Count (Pack of 40) is the best flavored coffee pod you can buy.
We’ve got all your favorite flavors, from Hazelnut to French Vanilla, and even a few new ones like Hazelnut Creme Brulee. But it’s not just about the flavor—it’s about the convenience. With this pack of 40 pods, you can brew up your favorite coffee whenever you want. And each pod is fully compatible with all Keurig 2.0 brewers as well as other models (old and new).
So what are you waiting for? Buy some San Francisco Bay Coffee OneCUP Flavored Variety Pack 40 Ct Compostable Coffee Pods today!
Pros
- Airtight storage
- Tasty
Cons
- Price
Compostable Coffee Pod Buying Guide
Machine Type
Unfortunately, which pods you buy depends on the machine you have at home. A Nespresso-compatible pod is unlikely to fit a Doce Gusto machine.
So, check before you buy. The most popular option is Nespresso compatible pods because they’re a bit more ‘blank’ and simple in design, and said design isn’t trademarked. But there will still be options out there is you have another brand of coffee pod machine.
Contents
How many coffees do you have per day? How many times is this from a pod machine?
You can buy compostable coffee pods in packs of between 10 and 100 in most cases. Opt for the lower end if you are just trying them out, or only occasionally opt for pod coffee, but the larger packs will last longer (although the speciality brands do seem to only make small packs for the most part).
FAQs
How do I dispose of compostable coffee pods?
In the majority of cases, simply just add to your everyday food waste. They will break down in a few months, by themselves, as part of industrial composting.
In some cases, you can add to your own food waste or compost bin. Follow instructions on your packet, and ensure you adjust the makeup of the bin in response.
Are there any other sustainable coffee pods?
As well as compostable pods, you can also buy aluminium coffee pods. This is not quite as good for the planet as something which breaks down in a few months, but they are easier to recycle than plastic.
They will need emptying before you dispose of them, but you can also buy reusable ones. For those really concerned about sustainability, however, compostable ones are the way forward.