Phil Drapeau, Keurig’s senior vice president of future coffee systems, said partnering with Delica is a way to accelerate Keurig’s years of research. “I think we’ve spent four to five years working on this process,” Drapeau said. “Partnering with Delica really allows us to focus on adapting the technology for North American consumers, accelerating and driving development.”
environmental benefits
Photography: Keurig
Standard, non-compostable K-cups are thrown away, creating an environmental problem. But the benefits of K-wheels go beyond eliminating potential pollutants in the environment or the carbon footprint of plastic manufacturing. Eleftheria Roumeli, an assistant professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Molecular Engineering and Science, said cultivating the seaweed, or algae, needed to make the new K-wheels does have some benefits.
“Algae photosynthesizes, so it absorbs carbon dioxide2,” Rumelli said. “That’s why there are so many incentives now. The U.S. government alone has given me I don’t know how many million dollars to grow algae because it’s such a great carbon sequestration mechanism. “The natural process of cultivating algae for purposes such as K-Round increases the amount of carbon captured from the atmosphere. “This is a very good option because algae is a natural carbohydrate and when it breaks down in the environment, it does not There will be no problem. Scientifically speaking, this isn’t new, but practically, it’s important that we do it. “
If people end up dumping too many K-Rounds or coffee grounds into a specific area (such as a backyard), problems may arise in the future. Like using too much fertilizer or biochar, building up too much in one area can disrupt an ecosystem, Rumelli said. But it’s still better than where things stand now.
“There’s no question that the benefits definitely outweigh the disadvantages,” Rumeli said. “One of the best things is that you now have something that can regenerate throughout your lifetime.” However, she cautioned that companies need to do research before deciding where to grow the algae, as it needs to be coordinated with the local environment.
Keurig says it will release both products to a wider audience after fine-tuning them based on some customer feedback. Keurig Alta and K-Rounds will enter beta testing this fall, and you can sign up here.