10 Best Compostable Coffee Pods 2022

As the brand name suggests, these guys are bothered about the planet and climate change.

Gishwati Cloud Forest Coffee is a unique single-origin and speciality coffee from Rwanda (although they do have other blends too). It is rich, medium roast coffee which packs a punch yet is still mellow on the palate, and each pod is made from plant-based materials which makes them biodegradable and ideal for industrial composting.

Halo Coffee are the creators of the world’s first home compostable paper-based capsule, which wasn’t just an innovative step but makes recycling much easier for the consumer.

The Ristretto is a blend of distinct South American and Ethiopian coffees, and there are flavours of chocolate, caramel, stone fruits and dried currants, so when you’re drinking it, you can barely notice that it is out of a pod.

They’re made from sugar cane and paper bagasse, so you can dispose of them in your food waste or compost bin. The oxygen barrier wrap is also compostable, despite being as effective as plastic.

Single-origin from Ethiopia, these beans are sourced from one supplier and are perfect for anyone who likes a slightly sweeter taste from their hot drinks.

There are sweet toffee, berry and buttery tastes, and at strength 3 they’re pretty perfect for all occasions. Each capsule, along with the lids and bag packaging, is made from a bio-based cornstarch material. It can go straight into the food waste collection bin once you’re done.

If you need further persuasion that they’re good, they were awarded 2-star Great Taste award in 2019, and Volcano is also a brand who support sustainability throughout their entire process.

We love Rave here at Daily Espresso, and this bag of 100 compostable pods is the best if you want to bulk buy.

It comes as a 4 x 25 pack delivery and is intensity 3. They are designed to produce a 25ml (short) or 35ml (long) espresso shot, which you can then drink as is or craft into your own. Just adjust the settings of your machine to ensure it knows, too.

They’re compatible with all Nespresso domestic drop through machines (excluding professional, inbuilt models and the Vertuo machines), and can just be added to your everyday food waste for ease.

Maybe you want to occasionally have a decaf when you need the taste but not the boost. Or maybe you just want need to avoid caffeine altogether.

As with their others, they are paper capsules and can be disposed of in any waste or food collection, meaning you don’t have to go out of your way to dispose of them.

As a bonus, Halo coffees are sourced and roasted to ensure they have a low-acidity profile, so you can use them without milk or with oat, nut and other non-dairy milk.

Compatible with Nespresso original domestic drop-through coffee machines, these pods will turn into compost in just 6-12 weeks, which is undeniably better than the hundreds of years for pure plastic.

As in the title, the coffee is organic and grown in Peruvia, which means they’re grown in harmony with the environment without the use of pesticides and other chemicals. The pods are made from wood bark, and they’re oxygen sealed so can remain fresh for up to 12 months.

Need even more of a reason to turn away from the branded Nespresso pods, they also contain 10% more coffee than standard Nespresso capsules. Fabulous value and ethics.

100% compostable capsules. Carbon neutral production and roasting. Additional tree planting that offsets emissions equivalent to London to Venice by car. This is a pretty ethical, sustainable brand all around.

They are strength 6 so will give you a boost in the morning, and make serving sizes of 40ml if you want to make a proper coffee size. You get 60 pods, which will see you through at least one month on average.

Crisp acidity, medium body, floral aromas, and rich sweetness are in the flavours, and because of the complexity, it will really suit any coffee fans who are brave enough to go without milk.

100% biodegradable and disposed of in your compost bin or general waste, these pods are really easy to use and lose.

Toast only uses single-origin coffee to give a more pronounced flavour, and they source from independent farmers to support ethical practice too. It will work with all Nespresso Original machines, and they are smooth and creamy.

Available are an assortment of espresso blends, whether you’re after something Medium, Light, Intense or Bold. It is all roasted in small batches, too, in order to get the most of the flavour, and you can also buy an assortment pack in case you’re not sure what your tastebuds require.

Based in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Lake District National Park, Penningtons are serious about the environment.

Their HQ is powered by renewable energy and they sell a range of 100 per cent compostable coffee capsules made from corn starch.

The best-selling capsules are filled with Penningtons Single Origin Cerrado from Brazil, a roast bursting with caramel, dark chocolate and nutty notes. A decaffeinated version is available too.