K-CYCLE® : K-CUP® POD COMMERCIAL RECYCLING PROGRAM

Is your business looking for an easy and cost-effective way to recycle K-Cup® pods?

At Keurig® Commercial, we understand your business’ commitment to sustainability and the small steps businesses can take in furtherance of that commitment. That’s why we offer K-Cycle® – a simple and hassle-free way for your business to effectively divert used K-Cup® pods consumed at your place of business.

Through our diversion partner, K-Cycle® not only diverts your business’ consumed K-Cup® pods from ending up in landfills, but also ensures the materials used in K-Cup® pods get a second life through recycling, composting, and waste to energy – something we can all feel good about! And while K-Cup® pods are designed to be recycled in 3 easy stepsii through local recycling programs, K-Cycle® was created specifically with the commercial client in mind who seeks a nationwide recycling solution that is simple and convenient to implement in their workplace settings.

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that since 2019, businesses in Canada have diverted over 1.4 million lb of materialiii from landfills using the K-Cycle® program? By partaking in this program, your business can also show its commitment to landfill waste reduction.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

  • Simplicity of use by your employees and customers
  • Simplicity of implementation in any business environment
  • A cost-attractive recycling solution
  • Helps align your company’s coffee program with your business’ commitment to reducing landfill waste
How K-Cycle® Works

Simply brew, collect and ship

1

Purchase your K-Cycle® boxes from a local Keurig® Authorized Distributor. Click here and we’ll connect you with a distributor near you.

2

Your employees or customers brew their favourite K-Cup® pods.

3

Used K-Cup® pods are deposited into a K-Cycle® box.

4

Once full, seal the top of the
K-Cycle® box† and contact Purolator for pick-up using the pre-paid, pre-affixed shipping label.

Our diversion partner then takes care of the rest!

5

K-Cup® pod components are separated.

6

The plastic cup is recycledii, and the aluminum lids and paper filters are repurposed through waste to energy.

7

Coffee grounds and tea become compost.

Further your business’ commitment to sustainability, partake in K-Cycle®

Although Keurig® Genuine K-Cup® pods are made from #5 polypropylene plastic and have been designed to be recycled, they are currently accepted in select locations and may not be recyclable in your areai. That’s where K-Cycle® comes in! The K-Cycle® commercial recycling program ensures all businesses in Canada have access to a nationwide solution for recycling K-Cup® pods consumed in business settings.

How can your business make sure it is using only Keurig® Genuine K-Cup® pods?

Keurig® Genuine K-Cup® pods can easily be identified thanks to the on-pack Keurig® logo.

 

Through the K-Cycle® K-Cup® pod commercial recycling program, it is important that only Keurig® Genuine K-Cup® pods are collected in K-Cycle® boxes. Doing so helps reduce the risk of contamination and supports the effective recycling of your used K-Cup® polypropylene pods.

What happens to your used K-Cup® pods through this process?

Upon receiving your filled K-Cycle® box, our partner, Emterra Group, separates
K-Cup® pods into their individual components. #5 polypropylene plastic cups are transformed into recycled plastic, the paper filter and aluminum lids are sent to a waste-to-energy facility for energy recovery, and the used coffee grounds/tea become compost or are used in horticultural applications.

 

IN 2023:

284 396 lb of PP recycled through the program

749 571 lb of coffee grounds composted

68 343 lb of materials repurposed through energy recovery

 

Source: 2023 Year End K-Cycle® Report_Feb 2024

K-Cycle® - perfect for the hotel industry

Are you a hotel owner/operator looking for a way to recycle K-Cup® pods consumed through your in-room Keurig® coffee program? K-Cycle® can be a valuable solution to optimize your guests’ in-room coffee experience and demonstrate your hotel’s sustainability commitment. By simply providing your hotel guests with a compact, labelled collection bin in their room (next to the Keurig® coffee maker) for them to dispose of their used K-Cup® pods allows your housekeeping staff to quickly collect them during their regular room cleanings. Your housekeeping staff then deposits collected K-Cup® pods into large format K-Cycle® boxes (these can be located in the supply room on each floor for easy access). Once full, housekeeping brings their K-Cycle® box(es) to the shipping area so they can be sealed and scheduled for pick-up with Purolator.

Which size K-Cycle® box should I use for my business?
Keurig® K-Cycle® Recycling
Box - Small
Keurig® K-Cycle® Recycling
Box - Large
Type of business
Small to medium sized offices and lower consumption businesses (i.e. small convenience stores, retail shops, vehicle service centres)
Larger offices and higher consumption business environments (i.e. hotel and airport lounges)
Ideal for businesses consuming
Up to 300 K-Cup® pods per month
Over 300 K-Cup® pods per month
K-Cycle® box capacity
175 pods
400 pods

† K-Cycle® boxes come complete with a prepaid shipping label, clear plastic bag and zip tie.

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i Some municipalities require additional steps. K-Cup® pods recyclable in select locations. May not be recyclable in your area. Check with your local recycling facility for updated information or take part in the K-Cycle® commercial recycling program.

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ii Through the K-Cycle® program, the plastic cup is recycled, coffee grounds and tea are composted, and aluminum lid and paper filter are sent to a waste-to-energy facility.

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iii Source: 2023 Year End K-Cycle Report_Feb 2024