Keurig Announces New Plastic-Free K-Cups Are Coming — Here’s What You Need to Know

Keurig wants to make coffee at home more sustainable.

On Wednesday, the coffee company unveiled its latest innovation: plastic- and aluminum-free coffee pods. But they are still not available to consumers.

The pods are called K-Rounds and the coffee grounds are pressed together and “protected with a plant-based coating,” according to a press release. The coating is partially made from alginate, which is derived from seaweed, but fear not, there will be no ocean flavor in your cup. The coating does not dissolve in the brewing process and can be disposed of like any other coffee grounds.

Keurig “expects” the K-Rounds to be compostable certified, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Keurig’s chief supply chain officer Roger Johnson said they “went back to basics” when developing K-Rounds. “We went and watched how the barista would make the best coffee,” he explained in the video announcing the new products.

The Keurig Alta Brewer will provide plastic-free K cups, called K-Rounds.

Keurig

Keurig’s chief innovation officer, Neha Mallik, continued, “Baristas drink coffee before they drink espresso, and we thought, ‘What if we took it a little further?’ and actually compacted the coffee enough to stand on its own so you don’t need that plastic cup anymore.”

The brand says K-Rounds will come in several varieties so consumers can make single and double espresso coffees, coffee with coffee and iced coffee.

The plastic-free pods are only compatible with a specific coffee maker called the Keurig Alta, which was also announced on March 13. Each of the different sized pods will have a unique code that the Keurig Alta coffee maker will register when placed inside. This will allow the machine to automatically adjust the pressure and flow rate to correctly brew a particular type of coffee (such as higher pressure for espresso versus lower pressure for drip).

The Keurig Alta will still be compatible with traditional K-Cups.

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The K-Rounds and Keurig Alta aren’t yet available for purchase, but interested fans can sign up to participate in beta testing, which is tentatively scheduled for this fall.

Keurig plans to use consumer feedback to make the products more widely available. Neither a date for wide availability nor the number of testers has been given, a source confirmed to PEOPLE.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education