Beaver Rock Roastery to launch recyclable coffee pods

Eco-conscience caffeine addicts can soon sip their brew guilt-free when Beaver Rock Roastery releases the industry’s first-ever fully recyclable single-serve coffee pods.

Dubbed the L-cup—the L stands for “less impact” on the environment—Beaver Rock’s new line of coffee pods are compatible with Keurig machines, but can easily be taken apart, emptied out and recycled.

Current K-cup designs are not recyclable, something that was a big concern for Beaver Rock’s customers, according to company president Mark Nastasiuk. “Time and time again our customers said to us that it’s kind of an environmental nightmare,” he said.

Unlike traditional K-cup designs, the L-cup’s lid is easily peeled off (similar to a yogurt container) and all of the materials are recyclable, making it a quick process to separate and sort. The cup was named one of the top 10 most innovative products at the 2014 Grocery Innovations Canada trade show last month.

L-cups, set to be released Dec. 19, will sell in 12, 18 and 24 packs with a suggested retail price of $8.98, $12.98 and $16.98, respectively. The line will include a variety of caffeinated and decaf blends from light to dark roast, as well as flavours such as butterscotch, cinnamon danish and toasted coconut.

A report from the National Automatic Merchandising Association shows single-serve coffee cups grew by 102 per cent in 2012 to take over close to 20 per cent of the coffee market in North America. Recent Nielsen numbers indicate K-cups have surpassed a quarter of the U.S. coffee market.