K-Cup pods now recyclable in Ontario

Keurig Canada Inc., operating as Keurig Dr Pepper Canada (KDP Canada), and Circular Materials have announced that empty K-Cup pods are now accepted for recycling at home through Ontario’s Blue Box program. 

Toronto-based Circular Materials is a national nonprofit producer responsibility organization that helps packaging producers meet their obligations under extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations across Canada. 

The organization says this is an important advancement in the province’s transition to a new and enhanced EPR recycling system for packaging and paper products. The program is funded by producers—the companies that supply packaging and paper products to consumers in Ontario—meaning municipalities and taxpayers no longer pay for recycling services. 

“At KDP Canada, we believe sustainability happens when innovation and collaboration intersect,” says Ryan Bahadur, KDP Canada interim president. “Ontario’s modernized Blue Box program and the acceptance of K-Cup pods mark a significant step towards greater harmonization and a more circular economy for Canadians. We’re proud to be contributing to practical, scalable solutions that make recycling at home easier.”   

With this launch in Ontario, approximately 75 percent of Canadians can now put their K-Cup pods in their blue box. K-Cup pods, made from recyclable polypropylene (PP) No. 5, meet Ontario’s recyclability standards and can be efficiently collected supporting the new Blue Box program. 

“The inclusion of empty K-Cup pods, and other recyclable plastic single-serve coffee packaging, demonstrates what can be achieved when producers and stakeholders work together to improve recycling for Ontarians and support strong environmental goals,” says Allen Langdon, Circular Materials CEO. “By expanding the list of items that can be put in Ontario’s recycling system to include empty K-Cup pods, we’re giving residents the clarity and convenience they’ve been asking for, while helping producers meet their sustainability commitments.”  

KDP Canada and Circular Materials, will launch a province-wide education campaign to inform residents of this new recycling opportunity and support consumer education on recycling. The campaign will provide clear guidance on how to prepare K-Cup pods for the blue box: Peel off the lid, empty the coffee grounds and recycle the empty pod.  

Circular Materials also introduces additional enhancements to recycling across Ontario as the province transitions to a new EPR blue box recycling system. These include a new expanded and unified material list across Ontario where residents are able to recycle more materials no matter where they live in the province, including hot and cold beverage cups, all recyclable plastic coffee pods, toothpaste tubes, black plastic containers, deodorant, ice cream tubs, frozen juice containers and more.