Keurigs: A Breathing Ground for Bacteria and Mold

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When I first discovered the "almighty Keurig" my first thought was, "uhm .. are these things recyclable?" Even if they were, those single use coffee cups did not look too eco friendly to me being that they were

1. Made out of plastic.
2. Single use.
3. NON RECYCLABLE

HUGE no nos in the environmental preservation movement. So I decided to do some digging on this praised invention. I found that over 8.3 billion K Cups a year are discarded which is enough to circle the earth 10.5 times! Count me OUT! Critics warn that the packaging needed for these systems comes with environmental and health-related costs. These millions of "k-cups" are ending up in the every expanding landfills. Only 5 percent of these k-cups are made out of recyclable plastic.

photo credit://motherjones.com
Fortunately, Green Mountain, who makes the most popular pods, called "K-Cups", has a sustainability plan where;

• 100% of their k-cups will be recyclable by 2020.
• Zero waste to landfill at their manufacturing and distribution facilities.
• Reduce greenhouse gases by 25%

Did I mention the bacteria?
I found that this contraption is bacteria and mold ridden and nearly impossible to clean as explained by a microbiologist;

The microbiologist in me is disgusted at the thought. Back in the day when I worked in a hospital lab, we emptied all water reservoirs daily or they would grow bacteria and a biofilm could develop. You are familiar with biofilms if you ever cleaned the goo out of a flower vase after the flowers have died. Biofilms are found wherever there is water and a surface to stick to (like your shower curtain).

Even Keurig.com itself says,

“Once your Keurig home brewer has been primed, you cannot empty the water from the inside. The internal tank of the brewer cannot be drained.”

Bacteria and mold are flourishing inside that hidden water tank and rubber ring. Check now! There is probably green or black slime around it. That my friend is biofilm. They are nearly impossible to keep clean and as Keurig.com itself said, they cannot be drained so that water sitting there is doing just that. Sitting there. Harvesting mold and bacteria. Lets debunk the myths about cleaning right now;

• Coffee bean’s antibacterial action is not enough to kill these microbes. According to Duberg, an assistant professor of clinical laboratory science at Saint Louis University, it is only 50 percent effective in killing bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus mutans, and molds.


• Yes, boiling water can kill microbes but NO, your Keurig water is not getting hot enough. It would have to reach boiling temperatures for at least a minute. Your Keurig is not about that life.

If you insist on using your beloved Keurig and are willing to risk all the hidden mold and bacteria, there are reusable coffee cups on the market.

Vegan Food Review

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It's grocery day!

So, I just tried vegan mayonnaise and vegan cheese for the first time. Let me tell you, I could not taste the difference! It's great! Being on the road to complete veganism, cheese has always been my downfall but I finally found just what I needed. I haven't tried the mozzerella yet though. I will let you know how it goes!



I just made a quick sandwich for lunch. My ingredients used were;

2 Sweet Hawaiian rolls Avocado
Vegenaise
Vegan cheese
Cucumber
Baby kale

Death to Paper Towels

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photo credit; www.peopletowels.com


The paper industry is the third largest contributor to global warming.

Paper towels are one of the most inefficient throw aways we have. You literally use them one time and throw them away. That does the environment NO favors. They only end up in our over compacity landfills.
They also contribute to deforestation which is destrimental to our environment. Four billion trees are cut down each year to make paper. We need the trees to breathe being that they provide us with oxygen. The more trees we cut down, the less clean air will be provide as the trees filter out this essential air.

Here are the facts;
• To make one ton of paper towels, 17 trees are cut down and 20,000 gallons of water are consumed.
• Every day, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the US alone.
• Decomposing paper towels produce methane gas, a leading cause of global warming.
• Paper was the largest contributor to municipal landfill waste in 2006.
• The average person uses 2,400 – 3,000 paper towels at work.

The United States consumes 30 percent of the world’s paper each year. Of the 741 pounds of paper used by the average American each year, close to 55 pounds is tissue paper (which includes paper towels, napkins, facial tissue, and toilet tissue). Even with recycling programs, a little more than one-third of the trash going into landfills is paper products. Paper towels are not recycled.

So what should one use, you ask? Ah ha! A solution. REUSABLE NAPKINS! These are a staple in any fine dining restaurant and conscious household. They are not only appealing for a nice ambience but also eco friendly and great on the environment. You can purchase cloth napkins at your local dollar store.


I will be honest. When I first implemented this into my household, the drying after washing process was a bit straining but then alas! I found the solution to my problem. A towel rack! Duh. You can purchase one of these from any of these stores or online.


If environmental convervation is not convincing enough, how about saving money? Lets break it down (logically speaking);

If the average family spent $10 a month on paper towels, that would add up to $120 a year spent on paper towels that will only be thrown away after one use. You're literally throwing away money.
OR
You can run to the Dollar Store and grab about 5 3pcks of cloth napkins and spend only $3 which will last FOREVER.

I know it is convienent but convience can be the root of environmental destruction. If you truly want to lessen your carbon footprint on the earth and conserve our resources, please try this. It may take some getting use to but it helps. Every bit helps.

If you are not part of the solution, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM