This February, join the Office for Sustainability by breaking up with your single-use coffee pods and falling in love with a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative across our UVA workplaces!
The Office for Sustainability is kicking off a campaign that benefits both the planet and our budgets, and we invite all Faculty & Staff members to join! The Break Up With Your K-Cups campaign is an initiative to reduce single-use coffee pods across UVA workplaces.
Why it Matters
The cumulative impact of using disposable K-cups and other single use coffee pods adds up in a big way. Based on procurement data, UVA purchases over 7,700 boxes of disposable coffee pods each year, and the majority of these end up in landfills. If you stacked all those pods on top of each other, they would reach the height of the Rotunda more than 300 times in one year- or one Rotunda every single workday! If UVA employees opt to switch to reusable K-cups, compostable coffee pods, or alternative brewing methods, we could keep thousands of plastic pods out of the landfill every year. By participating in this initiative, faculty & staff can directly support UVA’s goal to reduce waste by 70% by 2030 (from 2010 levels).
The benefits of this initiative are not limited to waste reduction, departments can reap financial benefits as well. The cost of a single K-cup is much more expensive than the coffee grounds required to brew a single serving. By switching to reusable K-cups or alternative brewing methods (i.e., drip coffee maker, French press, pour over cones), a department could cut coffee costs by up to 66%!
How it works
This February, the Office for Sustainability invites UVA employees to sign the pledge to Break Up With Your K-Cups. The process is simple:
- Sign the pledge by February 27 to commit to reducing single-use pods in your workplace.
- Receive a Sustainable Coffee Tip sheet for recommendations.
- Post an informational sign (provided by UVA Sustainability) near your coffee maker to spread the word to colleagues about the impact of making the switch from single-use K-cups.
The perks don’t end there! The first 15 workplaces to complete the pledge will receive a sustainable coffee kit for their office, including a set of stainless steel reusable K-cups and a bag of local coffee from Kindness Cafe. In addition, workplaces that commit to the switch for one year will be entered into a raffle to win a catered coffee break with pastries from a local business.
Are you ready to show the planet and your budget some love this February? Visit the Break Up With Your K-Cups campaign webpage today to sign the pledge!
For more information on how to take action as a Faculty or Staff member, please visit this page: https://sustainability.virginia.edu/faculty-staff
Shannon is an Employee Outreach & Engagement Specialist in the UVA Office for Sustainability. In her role, she leads programs to engage UVA employees in advancing the University's 2030 Sustainability Plan. Shannon is passionate about mindful consumerism, environmental stewardship and connecting in community.