Millions of coffee pods go to landfill. Here's what is being done about it
Between 10 and 20 per cent of the 3 million coffee pods Australians consume daily are actually recycled. Here's what's being done to change that.
For many caffeine enthusiasts, coffee pods are the shortcut to a cup of brew at home, and offer a cheaper option than buying from a cafe.
Coffee pods were launched in Australia in the 90s, and an estimated 3 million are now used across the country each day.
Between 10 and 20 per cent of used pods are estimated to be recycled, meaning waste is mounting, and thousands of tonnes of single-use pods that cannot be easily recycled are relegated to landfill.
Designer Lizzie Burscough has been doing her part to curb waste for the last six years by upcycling the shells of used pods into colourful earrings.
In a quiet studio, Ms Burscough is working on her own piece of the waste puzzle. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)
She said she did not initially set out to find a solution to the waste issue.
"I saw [the used coffee pods], and I just wondered," she said.
The curiosity has spurred an effort that has diverted about 40,000 coffee pods away from landfill.
"I can use the entire pod, everything except the seal that gets perforated," Ms Burscough said.
"It's always tweaked my brain to repurpose things … some ideas land, and this one really landed," she said.
Coffee pods from differing brands and varieties are being upcycled into earrings. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)
The process is fairly simple, with a growing list of contributors — friends, former clients of the ex-hairdresser or strangers found on social media — now collecting their pods to contribute.
Utilising postage bags paid for by Ms Burscough, the pods are posted to an employee on the Gold Coast who empties and composts the coffee grinds, washes and "bashes" the shell flat before posting them to the artist.
"It's quite streamlined … and people really like the story, I do get stopped in the street and have people say 'I like your earrings', and so you can start this whole conversation," she said.
Coffee grounds are removed from the used pod before the material is flattened to create the earrings base. (Supplied: Lizzie Burscough)
"People are a lot more conscious of sustainability now compared to when I started. It's a good talking point."