Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Coffee Pods 

By Beth Rush

You might have heard scary statistics about the amount of plastic used in K Cups. Discovering what you can do with old coffee pods can cut your carbon footprint and ease guilty feelings. This modern coffee-brewing convenience is here to stay, so learning what to do with the waste such machines create makes a difference.

What Can You Do With Old Coffee Pods?

Your chosen brand partially determines what you can do with old coffee pods. You might be able to refill your old coffee pods for reuse, depending on what type you purchased. Additionally, some coffee pods are compostable, according to BPI certification rules. Such products must remain free of harmful substances and obtain certification regarding their decomposition rate and biodegradability. 

Even the grounds used themselves make excellent fertilizer. Soak two cups of them in a 5-gallon bucket of water overnight and use this liquid fertilizer in your garden or mist indoor plant leaves with it to encourage growth.

What Can I Make With Used K Cups?

You can make all kinds of nifty things with used K Cups. They come in a convenient size for holding small objects or serving as parts for various other crafts.

K Cups are made with recyclable polypropylene, or #5 plastic. While many sorting centers only accept certain types of plastic, many centers take #5, and you can toss your used K Cups right in your curbside bin. However, why do that when you can have much crafting fun?

How to Repurpose Old Coffee Pods: 21 Ideas 

It’s time to get a little creative. Here are 21 ideas for what you can do with old coffee pods besides turning them into compost or recycling.

1. Store Sewing Supplies

Is your sewing basket a hopeless jumble of buttons and pins? You can organize it with used K Cups, creating a unique storage spot for each sequin color. You’ll find the exact gauge of the needle the first time; whenever you turn a used K Cup upside down, label it with the indicator on the top center, then treat it like a pincushion.

2. Stash Your Contacts 

You went on vacation and forgot your contact lens case. It looks like a trip to the store is in order. Is it? It does not need to be if you have a used coffee pod from your hotel room device.

Brew a second cup, rinse out both pods and voila. You now have a convenient, temporary storage spot for your lenses.

3. Make a Necklace

Could your neck use a little more bling? Make yourself that big gold chain you’ve always wanted with this trick to repurpose old coffee pods.

Simply paint a bunch of them gold — you might even go crazy with the glitter if you’re brave enough for the resulting mess. Then, string them together for an instant chain that’s more K Cup than karat.

4. And Matching Earrings

A pair of K Cup earrings? It’s easier than you think. If you’re into miniature worlds, you can create a tiny diorama inside each cup, affix it to a stud-style earring, and show off your playhouse on your lobes. You can also transform them into dangling-style earrings, adding several to a chain for dramatic effect.

5. Gelatin Shots

While you shouldn’t encourage excessive drinking, who said you had to add alcohol to the gelatin? Serving them in used coffee pods delights tiny tots who can have a blast licking the sweet gel out. Of course, if a festive occasion approaches, it’s OK to add a hint of spirits and indulge responsibly.

6. Holiday Ornaments 

Make a few more ornaments for your holiday tree with used K Cups. You can glue a bunch together in a tree shape or poke a pipe cleaner through them and paint them to create thick, juicy “candy” canes. Paint red and green and glue them to popsicle sticks to create a picture frame ornament for a prized family photo.

7. Outdoor Lights 

Plain string bulbs can look boring, but you can dress them up with used K Cup lamp shades. Adding the cover dims the lights for intimate evenings. Paint them in different colors for a rainbow effect, or choose one or two signature hues.

8. Seedling Starters 

You’ve mastered saving your seeds but need pots under your grow lamps. Used coffee pods are the perfect size for sprouting new plant life, making it easy to transplant to a larger container and, eventually, your garden.

9. Paint Cups

Are you into painting rocks? Squirt a tiny bit of tempera into each used K Cup to keep it from getting dry while you practice your craft. You can even wrap the excess with plastic wrap to prevent waste.

10. Mini Snack Containers

It isn’t only gelatin you can use to refill your used coffee pods. Transform them into tiny containers for various snacks, from miniature pretzels to M&Ms.

11. Makeshift Building Blocks

Your kid can take used coffee pods and build a model of the Colosseum for a history project that’s sure to earn an A.

12. Spy Communication Cable

Remember making a “telephone” with tin cans and string? You can do the same with used K Cups, creating a spy communication cable for dolls or GI Joe.

13. Mini Bowling Pins

Stack one used K Cup on top of the other to create a wobbly pin. Make nine more, then use a marble to go bowling in your living room.

14. Ice Cube Molds 

Are you tired of boring squares? Give your ice cubes a stylish new shape by freezing them in your used coffee pods.

15. Snowman Eyes

If your front lawn lies buried under three feet of the white stuff, paint a few used coffee pods black. Use them for buttons, eyes, and a mouth instead of coal.

16. Nuts and Bolts

If you can never find the right size nut and bolt in that junk drawer, clean it out and organize them into used K Cups.

17. Custom Play-Clay Cups

Whether you make homemade play clay or buy the commercial brand and mix it into a signature shade, keep your colorful creations fresh by stashing it in a used K cup and covering it with plastic wrap.

18. Doll Furniture 

Many have sat around the campfire on one of those overturned 5-gallon buckets. You can transform your used coffee pods into similar furniture for dolls.

19. Draft Stopper 

You’ll need a lot of used pods for this one, but you drink coffee daily, right? Stack a bunch of cups together to create a long enough chain to cover the bottom length of your door. Create a second one and cover the two horizontal columns in fabric, leaving a 1 ½-inch strip of cloth in between. Slide it onto the bottom of your door to block drafts.

20. Toy Snake 

Begin this repurposed K Cup craft the same way as your draft stopper, but stick to one row of connected cups. Cover them in fabric for a snake that slightly slithers — packing the pods more loosely increases the range of motion.

21. Pebble Pong 

Who says you need the brewski? If you remember beer pong from your undergrad days, this idea might make you reminisce.

Instead of ping pong balls, use pebbles. Or, if you’re stuck at work and need to fidget, craft a quick origami frog and see if you can get it to hop into your used coffee pod.

Repurpose Old Coffee Pods 

The good news is it’s easier to recycle or compost today’s coffee pods than ever. However, there are also dozens of fun things to make with used K Cups. Draw inspiration for these ideas for repurposing old coffee pods and transforming that trash into treasure.

About the author: Beth Rush is the green wellness editor at Body+Mind, where she covers topics like the power of climate consciousness at all stages of education. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth!

New Year’s Resolutions to Make Your Home More Sustainable

By Cora Gold

The new year isn’t only a fresh start. It’s a time for renewed hope that things can be better. However, only action can bring the changes we hope to see — hence, resolutions.

While feeling overwhelmed when you think about the climate crisis is understandable, it’s even more important to realize that everyone’s behaviors contribute and make a difference. You can control your corner of the world, and actions like the ones below make more of a difference than you know. Get more sustainable this year by making these eco-friendly resolutions. 

1. Adjust That Dial 

The bad news is that America’s primary energy source remains fossil fuels. Unless you’ve converted your property to solar, you burn them to stay warm. 

The good news is that adjusting that dial while you are away saves a bundle in cash and emissions. According to Energy Star, you can save up to 10% per year by adjusting your thermostat seven to ten degrees from its original setting during the eight hours per day you are away. 

2. Think Local First 

The farther a product travels to reach you, the greater the emissions. Sourcing your daily needs from local stores supports your neighborhood economy. 

Furthermore, you might be able to walk or bike errands, making them emissions-free. Traveling this way also introduces you to new, smaller shops you might never have otherwise known existed. Skip the big box the next time you need towels in favor of a local vendor. 

3. Upgrade Smart 

If it’s time to replace your appliances, opt for the latest Energy Star models. Today’s brands use up to 70% less electricity and 40% less water than older versions, making them far more efficient. Also, keep tabs on the amount of products you use. A touch of fabric softener is enough; too many scent beads leave waxy streaks on your clothing. 

4. Grow Some Food 

Reduce your trips to the store by growing some of what you need at home. If you buy organic, you can experiment with saving the seeds from the produce you already use, coaxing it to new life. That way, you’ll grow fruits and veggies you love to eat. 

You can also experiment with composting, which works best if you have a place to put it. Urban apartment dwellers can fill containers with the resulting soil or donate it to a community garden. Entrepreneurial sorts seeking a new capital investment might even implement a community composting program, keeping food scraps out of landfills and public gardening spaces well supplied. 

5. Improve Your Waste Management

What’s one thing — one, not a complete lifestyle change — you could do to dispose of your waste more efficiently this year? It might mean adding a separate recycling can to their budget for some. For others, it might mean shifting from single-stream to sorting and dropping cans and cardboard at the center once or twice a month. Still others might decide to put a recycling bin in their car for sorting during road trips. 

6. Go LED 

When it’s time to replace those old incandescent bulbs, skip the grocery and go to your nearest big box hardware store if you have one nearby. You’ll be amazed at the array of today’s LEDs, which let you create a signature look with lighting. Best of all, these bulbs save energy. According to a recent University of Michigan study, LEDs are even more efficient than fluorescents, saving 44% over each tube. 

7. Donate Your Unwanted Items 

You have plenty of things sitting around your home that you never use. Donating them clears clutter and ultimately reduces landfill waste when you take a slow-as-you-go approach. 

Instead of letting things get so bad, you need a major cleanup that results in a trip to the dump, gather things each week as you clean, and immediately place them in your car. They’ll be in plain view the next time you drive past your local donation center for a quick drop-off. You’ll sigh in relief each time you look around your beautifully uncluttered home, knowing that your unwanted items have found love with someone who needs them. 

Resolutions for a More Sustainable Home

Thinking of the enormity of the climate crisis can paralyze. It’s far better to focus on what you can do — after all, humans can certainly clean up a mess they created themselves. 

Resolve to take positive actions like the one above to make your corner of the world more sustainable, and you’ve done your part to create a greener planet. Better yet, your actions can inspire others to make similar eco-friendly switches, building on the goodness. 

About the author: Cora Gold is a sustainability writer who aims to live a healthy, low-waste lifestyle. Read more from Cora in Revivalist magazine, LinkedIn and Twitter. 

These Are the 5 Principles of a Green Funeral

By Beth Rush

Green funerals are an increasingly popular way to say goodbye to loved ones while being mindful of the environment. They strip away many wasteful and harmful practices traditionally associated with funerals, focusing on sustainability, simplicity, and harmony with nature.

If you’re curious about what makes a green burial distinct, it all comes down to five core principles that help protect the planet while celebrating life.

What Is a Green Burial?

A green burial is an eco-conscious alternative to traditional funeral practices, designed to minimize the environmental impact of laying someone to rest. Unlike conventional burials that involve embalming, cement vaults, and hardwood or metal caskets, a green burial avoids materials and processes that are harmful to the earth.

By returning the body to the soil in the most natural way possible, green burials allow for a gentle and organic decomposition process, restoring and sustaining the surrounding ecosystem.

Traditional funerals can have significant environmental consequences, from using toxic embalming chemicals to extracting natural resources for coffins and grave vaults. Embalming fluids also contain harmful substances, which can leach into the ground, while metal and wood caskets consume finite resources and take decades to break down. 

Additionally, the concrete used in burial vaults contributes to high carbon emissions during production. Green burials aim to counter these effects by promoting sustainability and reducing the overall ecological footprint of end-of-life practices.

Principles of a Green Funeral

A green burial is built around principles that align with a commitment to sustainability and respect for nature. These key aspects guide every step of the process, ensuring the funeral honors the deceased and the environment. Here are the core principles: 

> Sustainability

Green funerals focus on sustainability. Every element of the funeral, from the materials used to the processes followed, is designed with environmental conservation in mind. This means opting for natural, biodegradable materials like cotton shrouds or wicker coffins, avoiding synthetic materials that take centuries to break down.

A green funeral minimizes waste by reducing unnecessary embellishments and ensuring that whatever is used will return to the earth in a non-toxic and harmless way.

> Non-Toxic and Natural Processes

Traditional funerals and burials often use embalming chemicals like formaldehyde to preserve the body, which can seep into the soil and pollute groundwater. In green funerals, toxic embalming chemicals are avoided. Instead, natural preservation methods, such as refrigeration or dry ice, are used to keep the body in its natural state. Environmentally friendly lotions and disinfectants can also preserve the body. 

This protects the environment from harmful pollutants and allows the body to decompose naturally. By prioritizing non-toxic processes, a green burial ensures the earth remains uncontaminated.

> Resource Conservation

A green funeral strongly emphasizes conserving natural resources. Traditional funerals often involve concrete vaults, elaborate caskets made from hardwoods, and extensive use of energy-intensive machinery.

In contrast, green burials use eco-friendly and minimalistic materials, avoiding hardwood, metals, and non-biodegradable products. By reducing resource consumption and opting for simple, natural elements, sustainable funerals ensure the footprint you leave behind is as tiny as possible. 

> Connection With Nature

Green burials often strengthen the connection between meadows and the natural world. They may occur outdoors, in natural burial grounds, meadows, or forests. Many people find this setting comforting, as it symbolizes the natural cycle of life and death. It’s also a good idea if the deceased experienced a spiritual connection to nature or the land.

Sustainable funerals might also incorporate personal rituals, like planting a tree or scattering wildflower seeds, to honor the deceased in a way that gives back to the earth. 

> Eco-Friendly Transport

Transportation is another key aspect of a green funeral. The transportation industry is responsible for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. While long-distance transportation of the body and mourners can contribute to carbon emissions, a green funeral seeks to minimize this impact. Many people choose to hold the ceremony close to home, reducing the need for extensive travel. In some cases, eco-friendly vehicles like electric or hybrid cars are used for the procession. 

Alternatively, the funeral may take place in natural settings like conservation areas, eliminating the need for a large funeral home or chapel. Funeral services can also be streamed for those who live too far away to attend, further saving on emissions.

Why Choose a Sustainable Burial?

Choosing a green burial is a decision rooted in respect for the environment and the desire to minimize one’s impact on the planet, even in death. As more people seek sustainable lifestyles, it’s only natural to consider how our end-of-life choices affect the earth. Here’s why a green burial might be the right choice for you or a loved one:

> Green burial grounds often function as nature preserves, protecting land from overdevelopment and supporting local ecosystems. 

> Green funerals significantly lower carbon emissions by eliminating chemical processes and using biodegradable materials.

> These burials restore soil health and encourage the growth of native plants.

> With fewer materials and less elaborate services, green burials tend to be more affordable.

> Many find comfort in the idea of returning to the earth naturally, fostering a spiritual connection to the cycle of life.

Honor a Loved One Consciously

A green funeral offers a meaningful way to honor a loved one while being conscious of the planet. Focusing on sustainability and natural processes, these funerals provide a respectful and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional practices. For those who value leaving a smaller footprint and returning to the earth in the most natural way possible, a green funeral is a beautiful way to say goodbye.

About the author: Beth Rush is the green wellness editor at Body+Mind, where she covers topics like the power of climate consciousness at all stages of education. You can find Beth on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth!