Ah, the age-old battle: convenience versus sustainability.

We’ve all got enough going on in the mornings, am I right?! From getting the kids ready for school, then making sure the dog is fed and walked and finally packing and preparing for our own busy workdays, I’m exhausted just writing about it.

So, for all those reasons, it seems like popping a pod into a machine is one less thing to think about when getting that all-important first dose of morning caffeine.

That leads to my confession, that yes, I own a single-serve coffee maker (although I do use the reusable pod). But since a sustainable lifestyle is so important to me and my family, we’ve decided to make the switch back.

Did you know that over the past ten years, the number of households with a single-serve coffee machine has skyrocketed from three percent to more than FORTY percent!?  

In 2018 alone, Keurig sold close to 10 billion K-Cups, more than enough to wrap around the circumference of the earth more than 10 times.

These cups, regardless of name brand, generally consist of small plastic containers fitted with an aluminum foil lid. Because of their small size and materials, they often cannot be recycled.

While manufacturers have certainly taken note of this, and companies like Nespresso offer free recycling of their pods, there is no changing the fact that these little pods create a BIG environmental impact. Not to mention all the packaging they come in!

That’s why I encourage all of you to think twice before you buy that single-serve coffee maker or that next round of pods.

Coffee connoisseurs will tell you that making the switch from single-serve pods to different, more sustainable methods like a french press, Chemex or pour-over will yield a fresher, stronger and more delicious cup of joe.

In fact, some baristas say finely ground coffee used for espresso loses its potential for greatness in just 30 minutes (yikes!).

Do the environment (and your taste buds) a favor. Elect to use a more sustainable brewing method.

Want to learn more about making eco-friendly morning decisions? Inhabitat has a comprehensive resource on reusable and sustainable coffee pods.

And hey, there is one easy decision to make that combines both convenience AND sustainability: Toolaloo!

Not only do we take care to ensure our packaging is recyclable and our tool is made from post-industrial materials, but using your Toolaloo can keep thousands of plastic bags out of landfills and oceans.

Toolaloo makes sustainable grocery shopping one less thing to think about, keeping reusable bags organized at your fingertips. Oh, and since we’re talking about coffee, our cup holder attachment also holds your reusable travel mug!