A Redditor posted a photo on r/mildlyinfuriating to display an example of advertising gone wrong.
The OP used a reusable K-cup designed for Keurig compatibility, but instead of coffee, they received a pop-up message that the pod was no good.
"That 'please try one of the hundreds of pods with the Keurig logo' is more passive aggression than I think I can tolerate in a robot," one commenter wrote.
It's a shame considering the OP's heart was in the right place to minimize their carbon footprint by reducing single-use plastics with a purchase that benefits the environment and their wallet.
"So much for reducing waste," the Redditor grumbled.
Coffee is extremely popular, but many people don't realize how their morning habits affect the planet and ring up quite the bill.
Newsweek reported that millennials are willing to spend $7 on coffee a day — that's $2,520 a year. Resume Builder published the results of a survey showing that one in five workers buys coffee every day and two-thirds of those people spend over five dollars per coffee, with some buying multiple times a day.
Even Mark Cuban advised those trying to save money to stop buying coffee, which sent many people into a frenzy despite his savvy finance reputation. The point being: It adds up.
Single-use cups and individual pods are made of plastic and end up in our landfills and oceans, taking hundreds of years to break down and creating microplastics that are being found everywhere — from human lungs to semen.
The health complications alone are concerning, but landfills also emit harmful gases into the air that contribute to climate change and air pollution.
Reusable mugs and low-impact brewing options save money and help minimize landfill contributions. Compostable K-cups are available and gaining popularity. Starbucks also offers a reusable cup program that can save you up to $245 a year.
The Redditor's dilemma was greeted with empathy and advice.
"This is why I won't ever upgrade," one user vowed.
"Non-reusable K-Cups should be illegal," another said.
One person shared a brilliant hack: "Cut a piece of the top off a normal K cup and tape it to the sensor. I did this for one of my previous Keurig machines and it worked for its entire lifespan."
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