Due to health concerns, plastic-free coffee makers have become fashionable

Growing concerns about the use of microplastics and the sustainability of production have sparked a wave of plastic-free coffee capsules and coffee machines, according to CNN Business.

In recent months, coffee companies and home appliance manufacturers have launched new coffee machines and updated the design of capsules. New coffee trends are replacing traditional plastic capsules with compostable coffee pills. The new coffee machine of one of the manufacturers uses traditional coffee grounds, but, unlike a conventional drip coffee machine, in the process of brewing it does not use plastic made of stainless steel and glass.

More research is needed to determine the actual harm that microplastics cause. But according to a poll conducted by environmental group 5 Gyres in 2025, nine in 10 Americans are concerned about the effects of tiny pieces of plastic on the planet and their bodies; and studies have shown that capsules release microplastics.

According to Peter Giuliano, a senior research consultant at the Specialty Coffee Association, the rise in the price of expensive plastic-free equipment and packaging is in line with a wider range of consumers who have started buying coffee equipment at home since the pandemic.

The attractiveness and growth of the company are coupled with three factors: concern for the health of microplastics, concern for plastic in the environment, and a “feeling that metal and glass are more of a luxury than plastic,” the consultant told CNN.

In June, the well-known company introduced a $129 coffee maker in the US that uses only disposable espresso tablets made from pressed ground coffee, unlike capsules made from plastic and aluminum.

The tablets are made using a special technology that “turns precisely measured, ground and rammed coffee into a solid, ready-to-use tablet,” the company said in a press release.

The Italian company says the new coffee machine is its “largest investment to date” in the United States, as it plans to double revenue to $1 billion by 2029.

The new coffee machine is aimed at consumers who need an eco-friendly alternative to traditional coffee capsules: “Consumers want to enjoy coffee without the waste that usually arises from making a single serving.”.

According to the CEO of one of the companies Jordan Nathan, the development of a coffee machine without the use of plastic was a challenge. This is because expensive glass and steel parts have to be made to order.

“We needed to make the best quality coffee, without using plastic inside, with an all-metal body, but on a small rack with one dial,” he told CNN.

There has been growing concern over the use of plastic in the kitchen and its effects on the endocrine system in the past few years, Nathan said, citing a viral article that said using black plastic in the kitchen was linked to alarming levels of toxic flame retardants.

Social media, influencers and various scientific studies have all fueled speculation that parents and other health-conscious shoppers avoid using plastic whenever possible, including in cosmetics, food and bedding.

Coffee is a natural next step, Nathan added, because “plastic never needs to be heated.”.