We already know plastic coffee pods are bad for the planet. But are they bad for you, too?
That’s the question we couldn’t stop asking—especially when we started learning more about microplastics, the tiny plastic particles showing up everywhere from oceans and soil to salt, tea bags, and drinking water. And now, increasingly, in your morning brew.
So we decided to find out.
What Are Microplastics—and Why Do They Matter?
Microplastics are particles smaller than 5mm, often microscopic, and created when plastic breaks down under heat, pressure, or wear. Because there is so much plastic in our environment, these particles have made their way into our air, our tap water, and even our bodies.
They’re invisible to the eye but increasingly visible in scientific research, with potential links to:
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Hormonal disruption
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Reproductive and developmental toxicity
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Inflammation and oxidative stress
While research is ongoing, these potential health impacts are concerning.
So how do microplastics end up in products? Typically, this will happen either through shedding (when a product is made of plastic or packaged in plastic) or through environmental contamination (eg. plastic in the water or soil). Given their ubiquitous presence, it's challenging to eliminate microplastics entirely. However, making informed choices can help reduce our exposure.
The Brewing Question
Hot water + plastic = microplastics?
It seems intuitive—hot water interacting with plastic could cause particles to leach into your beverage. Yet, clear answers or regulations are lacking. In fact, there are currently no federal safety limits or guidelines for microplastic exposure in food or beverages.
So, we took matters into our own hands.
We Put Pods to the Test
We commissioned third-party lab testing on brewed coffee made from three types of pods:
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Love Grown compostable pods
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Plastic Pod A (a leading national brand)
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Plastic Pod B (another best-seller in major retailers)
Each sample was brewed and tested for microplastic particles between 15–500 microns (µm)—the typical range scientists look for in drinking water.
The Result: Plastic pods found to leach plastics into your cup
Here’s what we found in an 8oz cup of brewed coffee:
In plastic pods, we detected:
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ABS (used in rigid plastics, linked to styrene exposure)
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Polyurethane (common in adhesives, can release isocyanates and toxic under heat)
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Rubber, Nylon, PET (not food-safe at high heat, linked to reproductive/developmental toxicity)
These are exactly the types of plastics known to degrade in hot environments—and none were found in our pods.
✅ Love Grown pods tested near-zero for microplastics
Our 100% plastic-free pods are made with:
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A paper-based filter
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A lid made from compostable, plant-based materials
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A ring made from renewable bioresins and coffee chaff
Zero petroleum-based plastics. Zero materials known to leach.
We detected just 2 microplastic particles in a 40 mL sample of brewed coffee—a level consistent with or below background contamination found in lab air or tap water. In other words, what we found likely didn’t come from the pod at all.
“Third-party testing showed just 2 microplastic particles in brewed coffee from our compostable pods. This result is at or below what is typically observed as background contamination in environmental microplastic testing.”
Why this matters - and What We're Doing Next
We believe microplastics are the next significant contaminant issue, and we aim to lead the change.
Not by instilling fear or promoting restriction, but by offering better alternatives and continuously striving for improvement. Our goal is to eliminate microplastics from our environment and bodies. In the meantime, we focus on small steps to reduce exposure and minimize the plastic we reintroduce into the environment.
We've also decided not to wait for regulators to catch up. We're working on establishing our own internal microplastics standard—because your coffee should be clean in every way.
In Summary
We tested the two best selling plastic coffee pods along with our plastic-free pods. The results were clear:
Plastic pods shed microplastics into your coffee AND have up to 20x more microplastics per cup.
Our pods do not shed microplastics and achieve near-zero levels (low microplastics count that is likely due to background contamination).
We recommend switching to plastic-free coffee pods to reduce your microplastics exposure.
Got questions? Our team would love to answer them. Reach out to our Customer Care team here.
