Brand database
Coffee Pod Brand Microplastic Database (2026)
12 coffee pod brands audited for body material and the polymer that touches hot water. The ranking is by construction, because particle release has barely been measured: the one study of capsule coffee found 7 to 17 synthetic microplastics per cup, with older machines releasing more (Al-Mansoori et al. 2025), and no study has compared brands.
| Brand / System | Body | What has been measured | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keurig K-Cups (standard) 92–96°C pressurised through PP wall, 20–30 s | #5 Polypropylene | Capsule coffee: 7–17 microplastics per cup in one study; pod not isolated | High |
| Keurig 2.0 K-Cups Recyclability change did not alter polymer chemistry | #5 Polypropylene (redesigned for recyclability) | Not separately measured | High |
| Nespresso Original ~25 ml espresso, ~25 s, smallest pod, shortest brew | Aluminum + food-grade polymer liner | Not measured | Low |
| Nespresso Vertuo (espresso 40 ml) Centrifusion 6,000–7,000 rpm adds liner agitation | Aluminum + polymer liner | Not measured | Medium |
| Nespresso Vertuo (Mug 230 ml) Larger pod + longer brew time = more liner contact | Aluminum + polymer liner | Not measured | Medium |
| Nespresso Vertuo (Alto 414 ml) Largest Vertuo pod size; longest brew | Aluminum + polymer liner | Not measured | Medium |
| illy iperEspresso (aluminum) Some retail SKUs use polymer-body instead, check | Aluminum capsule | Not measured | Low |
| illy ESE (Easy Serving Espresso, paper) Paper-based pod; polymer is only in the seal | Paper + thin polymer hot-seal | Not measured | Low |
| Lavazza A Modo Mio Outer collar plastic is not in hot-water path | Aluminum + plastic outer collar | Not measured | Low |
| Halo Compostable Pods PLA is a synthetic polymer; data sparse | PLA + plant-fiber composite | Not measured | Medium |
| Woken Compostable Pods Compostable claim is industrial only, not home compost | PLA + plant-fiber composite | Not measured | Medium |
| Reusable Stainless Steel Pod (K-Cup compatible) One-time $10–25 cost; removes the pod wall from the hot-water path | 304 stainless + silicone gasket | Not measured; no pod plastic in the water path | Low |
Methodology
- Material disclosure: pulled from manufacturer spec sheets, recycling-symbol disclosure on the pod, and Keurig + Nespresso public material statements.
- What has been measured: only one study has counted microplastics in capsule coffee (Al-Mansoori et al. 2025: 7–17 synthetic microplastics per cup, particles 10 µm and up, three home machines). It did not isolate the pod and did not compare brands, so every other cell says “not measured”. The widely quoted “billions per cup” figure comes from a 2019 study of plastic tea bags (Hernandez et al.), not coffee pods.
- Risk tier: High = polymer body in full hot-water contact. Medium = aluminum with larger liner area or longer brew, OR compostable PLA where data is sparse. Low = aluminum with short brew + small pod, OR reusable stainless.
Primary sources
- Al-Mansoori M, Harrad S, Abdallah MAE (2025). Synthetic microplastics in hot and cold beverages from the UK market. Science of the Total Environment.
- Hernandez LM, Xu EG, Larsson HCE, Tahara R, Maisuria VB, Tufenkji N (2019). Plastic teabags release billions of microparticles and nanoparticles into tea. Environmental Science & Technology (McGill).
- Keurig Dr Pepper, manufacturer pod material specifications (2024). Keurig brewer + pod product information.
- Nespresso, capsule material disclosure (2024). Nespresso capsule recycling information.
Scan your coffee setup before the next order
Use the MicroPlastics iOS app to check the pod box, the brewer, and the cup. 0–100 risk score, cited research, cleaner same-machine swap if there is one.
Download on the App StoreData compiled by the MicroPlastics Research Desk. Last reviewed: June 29, 2026. Submit a source dispute or correction via the contact page.