Yeah, actually, your plastic coffee pod may not be great for the climate

https://www.npr.org/2023/01/21/ [login to see] /yeah-actually-your-plastic-coffee-pod-may-not-be-great-for-the-planet
You may have come across news headlines about coffee this week, like this one from the BBC: "Coffee pod carbon footprint better for planet than filtered brew."

The stories are about a short article published earlier this month that says single-use coffee pods may be better for the climate than other forms of coffee preparation.

The coverage by social media and news outlets came as good news to lots of people who have single-use coffee makers, since they've heard for years that the disposable metal and plastic capsules in their machines harm the environment. Columnist Matthew Yglesias tweeted out: "Vindication".

The problem is, the positive take on coffee pods and the climate might not be true.

Despite the hype, it's hard to know how solid the conclusions are in the article that blew up online this week. That's in part because the article isn't a formal study that has been peer-reviewed, which means it hasn't been vetted yet by other experts in the field. The article's lead author, Luciano Rodrigues Viana, a doctoral student at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, said in an email to NPR that he hopes to release a peer-reviewed study soon.