In the past few years, we’ve seen a steady rise in instant coffee makers, especially those of the single-serve variety such as Keurig and Nespresso.
While these products’ coffee pods may be incredibly effective in saving you time and money, their single-use nature leaves them headed to the landfill quickly.
Surprisingly, there are countless ways to reuse those little plastic containers after you’ve enjoyed your morning brew. Here are 15 ways you can remain environmentally friendly and make your life simpler at the same time by recycling those used pods:
1. Clean out your coffee pods, fill them with fresh herbs or spices, and freeze them to make cooking easier later.
2. Use them as storage for your loose office or craft supplies.
3. Turn your K-cups into artsy stamps with glue and a thin piece of cardboard.
4. Cut holes in the bottom of pods and add them to Christmas lights to add some funk to your decorative lights.
5. Begin an indoor herb garden by using K-cups as tiny planters.
6. Hang those K-cup planters from the ceiling to create a small hanging garden.
7. Crush coffee pods and string them together to create a decorative curtain for your home.
8. Crush the pods to create a lively lamp shade.
9. Group K-cups and a light string together to create a fun sparkle ball.
10. Use them as a popsicle mold.
11. Portion out kids’ snacks.
12. Create wild necklaces.
13. Combine a K-cup holder and empty pods to store hair accessories.
14. Create small treasure boxes.
15. Refill coffee pods with your own favorite coffee.