The impact on the environment also concerns Sylvan. The pods are non-biodegradable and for the most part, non-recyclable.

Sylvan went so far as to say he sometimes feels bad for ever having invented the K-Cup. According to The Atlantic, he never expected his invention to catch on beyond office environments. Now 1 in 3 households have a pod-based coffee machine.

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com