CANADA: Holcim to power cement production with discarded K-cup packs

It’s become popular to grab a K-cup pack, throw it in the Keurig, make a cup of coffee and then throw it away.

However, one company now intends to use recovered K-cup packs as an alternative fuel for a cement plant.

Holcim Canada and Van Houtte Coffee Services Inc., a subsidiary of Keurig Canada Inc, recently introduced a new service to recover the energy content of used K-Cup packs from institutional and commercial clients of Van Houtte, states a release.

Once collected the packs are sent to the Holcim Canada Joliette cement plant where they are processed and reused as alternative fuel.

"Using alternative fuels is an important and effective tool to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and improve our CO2 profile. Reclaiming used K-Cup packs helps us to meet the ambitious objectives we've set," said Robert Houde, general manager of Geocycle, the Holcim Canada division responsible for alternative fuels, in a statement.

Holcim Canada manufactures cement, aggregates and ready-mix concrete and provides construction services.