K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee pod system

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by cronix on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @07:04PM (#18721257)

We should start having a plastic tax per gram of plastic, and based on the type of plastic (how easy it can be recycled). Maybe if these products became really expensive and people bought less of them, companies will find other methods. I'm very, very sick and tired of the over use of plastic in our society. Plastic does play a useful role in our lives, but I don't think every product we buy needs to be in that thick clear plastic that is very hard to open without cutting the hell out of your hand. Companies claim this is a theft deterrent, and it might be, but I think we can do better than the over use of all of this plastic. It's just everywhere now, including your body.

Or, instead of a tax, a deposit which you get some or all of it back when you recycle it like we do with aluminum cans. Plastic is only about 100 years old, and look what we've done. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-great-pacific-garbage-patch...

Edit: removed erroneous editorialized comment

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by rad_gruchalski on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @07:24PM (#18721371)

> I feel so bad about this product I created. I don't feel as bad about the money I'm making though, and no, I won't close the company out of principle. I just make too much money from it.

> But he left the company in 1997, selling his ownership of the product for $50,000.

He can’t close anything down. He made $50k out of it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by cronix on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @07:18PM (#18721339)

> The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimated that in 2006, injuries from plastic packaging resulted in approximately 6,000 emergency-room visits.

> Along with the potential health hazards, environmental concerns have prompted calls for the elimination of clamshell packaging. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about one-third of consumer garbage is packaging, and plastics comprise 12 per cent of U.S. waste each year.

https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2017/03/04/clamshell-pa...

I am having a hard time finding current numbers. 6,000 in 2006...12 years ago. I'm sure it's only climbed since then.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by Lapsed on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @07:51PM (#18721540)

> But he left the company in 1997, selling his ownership of the product for $50,000.

You are spreading misinformation, you should edit or delete your comment.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by hackerbabz on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @08:00PM (#18721606)

Why do you think that that's not true? Page 4 says so, http://archive.boston.com/business/articles/2011/08/07/the_i...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by Lapsed on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @08:16PM (#18721696)

I was quoting the article to show that the comment wasn't true. So I do think that the quote is true.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by cronix on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @08:00PM (#18721607)

Apologies, edited.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by KMag on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @07:25PM (#18721380)

How do you feel about biodegradable plastic?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:K-Cup creator John Sylvan regrets inventing Keurig coffee... by cronix on Wednesday December 19, 2018 @07:45PM (#18721507)

Sounds good in theory, but I haven't specifically checked it out. Does it produce less/no pollution/toxins when creating it? Is it truly biodegradable with 0 contaminants/toxins left over? How much energy is required to produce it vs other plastics or paper/cardboard? How much corn does it take, and is it economically feasible if we shifted, let's say, 50% of current plastics to biodegradable where it would make sense (I imagine there are scenarios where biodegradable plastic couldn't/shouldn't be used)?

I'm more of the mindset to just eliminate plastic where it isn't really necessary to begin with, like in packaging, where it's just more convenient for the manufacturer to wrap it in plastic as a theft deterrent.

[ Parent | on HN ]