Collection corner

Single-serve solution

Eleven billion plastic single-serve coffee pods will be purchased this year, according to Canadian coffee roaster Club Coffee. In 2014, Keurig Green Mountain announced in its sustainability plan that it will make its single-use K-Cups recyclable by 2020. (It has been reported that in 2014, Keurig produced 9.8 billion K-Cups, which are nonrecyclable.)

To deal with this growing waste trend, Club Coffee has a solution for today (well, in the fall when they become available): PurPod100, the world’s first 100-percent-compostable single-serve beverage pod. The PurPod100 is made from renewable, biobased materials, including the ring of the pod, which is made using coffee chaff—the skin of the coffee bean that comes off during the roasting process.

Big waste

America is bursting at the seams in innovation, technology, diversity, economy, education and many other factors. The country’s most populous city also seems to be bursting at the seams, but in a less-positive light.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America in late April found that New York City is the No. 1 most wasteful city in the world. When compared to 26 other megacities worldwide, New York comes out on top as the city that wastes the most energy and water as well as disposes of the most municipal solid waste.

On Earth Day this year, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new citywide plan to reduce its solid waste disposal by 90 percent by 2030 and send zero waste to landfills by that time as well. The sustainability plan includes the expansion of New York City’s organics curbside collection and local drop-off programs to serve all residents by the end of 2018.

Controlled cuisine

Food waste in the U.S. is growing problem, and globally the situation isn’t any better. To address this dilemma, developers Steffan and Barbara Lewis asked themselves, “Is there an app for that?”

The husband-and-wife team created EatBy App, an application available on iPhone and Android devices that warns its users when food in their refrigerators is nearing expiration. The free app helps users to better manage perishables in their kitchen while reducing food waste as well as costs.

When users scan or enter their food items into the EatBy App, it could help them to lessen the 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. that is never eaten, according to a figure from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Did you know?
13% of greenhouse gases in the U.S. are associated with growing, manufacturing, transporting and disposing of food. – EPA

Do you have a unique recycling-focused story? Please send a press release to Megan Workman at mworkman@gie.net.