The use of single-serving coffee makers has been on the rise in Western Europe, where pod machine sales outpace drip coffee makers. But they’re not very good for the environment. These portion packs cause unnecessary resource consumption and waste generation, and often contain toxic aluminum. And so, in an effort to go greener, a German city has banned coffee pods—such as those sold by Nespresso and Keurig—from all government-run buildings. The city government of Hamburg decided it shouldn’tspend money on the city’s high sustainability requirements. Coffee pods just aren’t up to that standard.
