Life Cycle Analysis: ALEXANDRA KOECK A peer review on the sustainability of Keurig Green Mountain Single Brew K-Cup Systems

Life Cycle Analysis and Sustainability Life Cycle Analysis ◦Cradle to grave analysis ◦Measures a company’s products ◦Compiles an inventory of inputs and outputs ◦Material and energy usage, emissions and waste flows Sustainability ◦“The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance” ◦Subjectivity ◦Perceptions of companies ◦Greenwashiing

Greenwashing When a company portrays itself as more ecofriendly than it actually is ◦Seven sins ◦Hidden trade-off ◦Absence of proof ◦Vagueness ◦Irrelevance ◦Lesser of two evils ◦Falseness ◦False or misleading labeling

Is Keurig Greenwashing?

The Current K-Cup Not recyclable Not able to be separated ◦Filter ◦Natural fiber and plastic ◦Unable to be recycled ◦Foil Cover ◦Attached to plastic ◦Difficult to fully separate ◦Coffee Grounds ◦Can be composted, but takes consumer initiative

Plastics Everywhere in everyday life Non-biodegradable ◦Long-lived burden ◦Break down into non-visible pieces ◦Accumulate in organisms Estimates of plastic waste ◦Americans produce about 10.5 million tons per year ◦Use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour

Polypropylene- Plastic #5 K-Cups intended to be 100% recyclable by 2020 ◦Using Polypropylene 5 (PP) ◦Keurig claims in their sustainability report “[PP] is also accepted by recyclers in approximately 60% of communities in the United States* and 93% of communities in Canada” Not easily recycled ◦Multiple variations of PP 5 make sorting difficult ◦Closed loop system difficult ◦Keeping plastics food grade ◦Intensive activism via Keurig necessary for closed loop ◦Plus consumer involvement Source ◦Keurig does not specify where PP 5 will come from ◦Renewable sourcing, recycling etc. ◦Recycling difficult because of varieties and food-grade standards

Grounds to Grow On Disposal Process ◦Pods not recycled ◦Grounds Composted ◦Plastic and other elements burned for waste-to-energy ◦Reduces landfill waste In Reality ◦Small pilot program ◦Only available for large companies ◦Must produce at least 24 K-Cups a day ◦Must purchase the recyclable boxes to ship K-Cups in ◦Disincentive to use the recycling process ◦Uses Covanta for waste-to-energy ◦Considers this to be “renewable” ◦Claims this process saves emissions because methane is not being produced at the landfill ◦Multiple violations for emissions ratings at numerous plants throughout the country

Greenwashing: Conclusion Hidden trade-off Absence of proof Vagueness Irrelevance Lesser of two evils Falseness False or misleading labeling

Sources ◦"Keurig." Learn More About K−Cup Pod Recovery. Keurig Green Mountain, Web. 14 Mar ◦"Energy-From-Waste & Climate Change." Energy from Waste vs Climate Change: Waste to Energy Offsets Greenhouse Gases to Combat Climate. Covanta, Web. 26 Mar ◦"The Sins of Greenwashing: Home and Family Edition." The Seven Sins. UL Environment, Web. 14 Mar ◦"Beyond the Cup: Sustainability Report Fiscal 2014." Keurig Green Mountain. Keurig Green Mountain, Web. 14 Mar ◦“Keurig Green Mountain Sustainability Report Fiscal 2013." Keurig Green Mountain. Keurig Green Mountain, Web. 14 Mar ◦"FTC Issues Revised "Green Guides"" Federal Trade Commission- Protecting America's Consumers. Federal Trade Commission, 01 Oct Web. 30 Mar ◦Rebitzer, G., T. Ekvall, R. Frischnecht, D. Hunkeler, G. Norris, T. Rydberg, W. P. Schmidt, S. Suh, B. P. Weidma, and D. W. Pennington. "Life Cycle Assessment Part 1: Framework, Goal and Scope Definition,." Environmental International 30.5 (n.d.):