Do we truly understand the extent of the problem?
According to Kalibri Labs data prepared for AHLA, January 2, 2024. In 2023 there were 1.04 Billion room nights sold in North America alone. Not room availability, but heads in beds. Divided equally through the year, that's 2,860,273 per night.
With 75% (2,145,205/night) of the market being 3-star + accommodation, I think it's safe to assume that approximately 75% of those (1,608,904/night) would offer some form of in-room single serve coffee option.
Of those we estimate about 60% use single serve plastic coffee pods with a 60% use rate. Bringing the daily coffee drinking number down to 579,205, in hotel rooms in North America (excluding offices & homes).
With these simple calculations, it's quite safe to say that 211,409,825 plastic single serve coffee pods were used and thoughtlessly tossed into the garbage in 2023, under the premise that they’ll be recycled. When in fact they were destined for a life in the landfill or an ocean, having fulfilled their single use purpose, breaking down into poisonous microplastics and ultimately damaging our environment.
But they’re plastic, you can recycle them right?
Maybe; but probably not. Read on:
In September 2024. Trellis.net published an article about Keurig Dr Pepper’s civil settlement charge of $1.5 million for falsely claiming that their K-Cup is recyclable and not disclosing that two of the largest recycling companies in the United States did not presently intend to accept their pods for recycling. I’m impressed by the signal of accountability. However, with a revenue of $14.8 billion. That's 0.0001% of a single year of earnings. This is infuriating. It's hardly more than a threat of a slap on the hand.
It's safe to assume that the 211M plastic pods thrown into the waste last year in hotel rooms join the other 100 billion keurig pods sold since the 1990s for their 200+ year decline, buried in our landfills and floating in the oceans, slowly disintegrating microplastics into the environment they now call home.
Micro plastics damage more than the environment. You’ve no doubt read about microplastics in the food we eat and the water we drink. They’re found in ocean animals and even in our blood stream. Microplastics are everywhere. Studies have shown that microplastics can kill human cells at the concentrations found in the environment. AND. We still chose to pass boiling hot water through plastic for a convenience coffee!? AND, provide this as the only option for the guests in our hotels!?
The good news is:
- We have a fixable problem!!
- Sustainability awareness is rapidly growing.
- Organizations like Green Key are joining our ranks and demanding that single use plastics in hotel rooms should be brought to an end.
- We have a simple switch out solution available that enhances guest experiences.
Craig and I have been hard at work for over a decade, driving our sustainable mission into homes, offices and hotel rooms. Tayst Coffee is born from a passion for sustainability and desire to maintain a healthy balance with our planet. We have a chance to fix an obnoxious problem and we’re opening our doors to responsible hoteliers to make a real difference!! Education is our biggest challenge, we’re grateful for Green Key who are shining a light on the problem, empowered by the HAC and AHLA they’re bringing their (and our) sustainable message to thousands of hoteliers, like you.
Every day we make ‘sustainable’ choices, we often don't consider the bigger picture, the collective impact. This is why I wanted to ruminate over the scale of the problem we’re embroiled in at the moment. This is why we’re here today and why you’ve read this far. The decision to stop throwing single use plastic into the garbage starts with the decision to not buy it in the first place. We all work in a busy world, we all have busy lives, we all want convenience. But convenience doesn’t have to come with an environmental and health impact.
I’m now talking directly to you. The General Manager, The Food & Beverage Director, The Housekeeping Manager and The Purchasing Manager. Think about how many plastic pods you purchased in 2023 for your hotel. Where are they now? Where will they be in 200+ years? Now think about how a compostable solution (like the type available from Tayst coffee) would change that outcome. In less than 2 months, our pods are returned to the earth, fully degraded, composted, available for plant life to grow within, in a nutrient rich environment.
We’re deeply proud of the pods we’ve created, crafted from organic materials, even the ink is Soy based. We’ve made convenience healthy for you and the planet. We thought “Why Stop There”. If Tayst pods can make a difference downstream, why not also make an impact upstream.
- All our coffee is roasted using renewable energy.
- The packaging we use is post recycled waste
- 100% of the coffee we use is RainForest Alliance Certified.
- This means; the supply chain we use is audited annually to ensure the farmers, the communities and the soil in which the coffee is grown is treated fairly and with respect, avoiding harmful chemicals and pesticides. It's the highest grade coffee you can buy.
Deliver the highest grade coffee through an organic material, non-toxic pod. The coffee tastes clean and Amazing!!
Sever your relationship with plastic single use coffee pods today. Make the decision to purchase compostable pods that are, in most cases, compatible with your existing machines. One hotel can make a difference. One decision is all it takes.
Once you’ve decided. The switch is easy. Partners such as Green Key, Best Western and Curator Hotels and Resorts have all taken steps toward a sustainable future. We understand the extent of the problem, we understand the simplicity of the change. Will you make a sustainable coffee choice?
Tayst Coffee now produces Sustainability Impact Reports for key partners to help measure and quantify the difference a sustainable choice can make. More to follow next time.
If you want to try our sustainable and eco friendly pods for your hotel. It's easy, simply Click Here.
Greg Byrnes
CEO - Founder
Tayst Coffee