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.