Wake Up and Smell the Coffee Pod?

A University of Quebec at Chicoutimi study, quantified the 'greenhouse gas' emissions associated with making a cup of coffee in four different ways. Cups of the beverage were made using a French press; instant coffee; a filter or a single-serving capsule. The study's conclusion was that, the single-serving capsule (pod) was surprisingly 'green', in spite of inevitably generating aluminium or plastic waste (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/feb/10/single-use-coffee-pod-environment-impact-better). For example, the emissions generated when making a cup of filter coffee, appeared to be circa 1.5 times greater than by using a pod. The authors of the study concluded that, this was because employing a capsule, avoided the overuse of coffee and water. They noted that the production of coffee (they used Brazilian-sourced material), involves lots of energy/emissions. Beans are roasted, before grinding. One must point out, however, that the creation of the aluminium or plastic packaging for the capsules, is also very energetically-demanding. Disposal or recycling of packaging would also subsequently add to 'greenhouse gas' emissions. It's difficult to know whether all these sources of climate changing emissions have been accurately assessed in this study. What's really needed is a technique that minimises both coffee use and packaging.