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Lavazza’s Tablì and Keurig’s Alta are new single-serve coffee systems that replace conventional capsules with compressed coffee rounds. Lavazza says Tablì is made entirely of coffee and its packaging can go in household recycling, but the systems’ wider environmental impact and consumer adoption remain unclear.
Lavazza’s Tablì and Keurig’s Alta are bringing a new format to single-serve coffee: compressed rounds of coffee that replace conventional capsules. The development offers an alternative to pod packaging, but available information does not establish how much waste the systems will prevent or whether they will displace existing machines.
Livingetc reports that Tablì brews espresso from a 100% coffee tab, without coatings or binders, according to Lavazza. The magazine’s reporter saw the system demonstrated and described its operation as similar to a pod machine: place a round inside, close the lid and press a button. Lavazza has not disclosed the precise method used to compress the rounds so they remain intact during production, shipping and brewing.
Lavazza coffee expert David Cutler told Livingetc the company had spent five years researching the technology. He described it as a new approach to single-serve coffee. The report says Tablì’s packaging can be placed in standard household recycling, while the used coffee grounds can be handled like grounds from other brewing methods, including through food-waste collection or home composting where available.
Keurig’s AltaRounds also replace capsules with coffee rounds. The source describes the rounds as using “plastic-free, plant-based protection,” but does not provide details about their full composition or disposal. These are product and company descriptions, not independent findings about lifecycle emissions, total waste or environmental performance.
A Different Route to Single-Serve Coffee
Single-serve machines are popular in the UK: the report cites a 2024 estimate from Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence that 12.6 million UK households, or 46% of households, own a pod machine. A format that removes conventional capsules could change what those users put in their bins, while retaining the convenience of brewing one drink at a time.
The potential benefit depends on more than the coffee round itself. Packaging, manufacturing, transport, machine compatibility and what consumers do with used grounds all affect the overall waste picture. A coffee-only round may avoid some capsule materials, but the source provides no comparative lifecycle assessment showing the environmental impact of Tablì or Alta against conventional pods or other brewing methods.
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From Capsule Recycling to Coffee Rounds
The report sets the new machines against longstanding concerns about disposable pods. It cites 2021 research reported by The Independent estimating that 29,000 coffee pods went to landfill each minute, with an estimated 75% to 90% of capsules ending up there. Those figures are attributed to the earlier research and do not measure the performance of the new systems.
Pod recycling programs exist, but the report says separating coffee grounds from capsule materials can make recycling difficult. It also notes that conventional pods have been estimated to take about 500 years to decompose, while compostable pods may take around half a year. The source does not specify the conditions behind those decomposition estimates, and compostability does not by itself confirm how a product is handled by local waste services.
Tablì’s reported five-year development period reflects an effort to keep the familiar single-serve routine while changing the brewing material. Keurig Alta is another example of the same broad shift, though the source does not give a detailed, like-for-like comparison between the two systems.
““We’ve been researching the technology behind Tablì for the past five years, developing a new approach to single-serve coffee that opens up an entirely new market segment.””
— David Cutler, Lavazza coffee expert, speaking to Livingetc
Environmental Results Still Unmeasured
The source provides no independent testing of Tablì’s or Alta’s total environmental footprint, no sales or adoption figures, and no evidence showing how many conventional pod users will switch. It also does not establish whether the rounds are accepted by local composting or food-waste programs, or how the systems compare with reusable filters and other coffee makers over their full lifetimes.
Lavazza has not disclosed the process that holds Tablì’s coffee round together. The report says its packaging can be recycled in a standard household bin, but does not identify packaging materials or confirm acceptance in every local recycling system. Details on AltaRounds’ plant-based protection and disposal are also limited in the source.
Adoption and Disposal Need Tracking
The next useful evidence will be product-specific information on availability, pricing, compatible machines and what materials each round and its packaging contain. Independent lifecycle comparisons could show whether replacing capsules reduces environmental impacts once manufacturing, shipping and disposal are included.
For consumers, the immediate practical questions are whether the new machine suits their coffee habits and whether local waste services accept the packaging or grounds. The source does not announce a future launch date, sales milestone or independent assessment, so the extent of any shift away from pods remains to be seen.
Key Questions
Are Lavazza Tablì rounds conventional coffee pods?
No. Livingetc describes Tablì as a capsule-free system that brews from compressed rounds made entirely of coffee, according to Lavazza.
Does Tablì eliminate all waste?
No. The report says the machine still has packaging, which Lavazza says can go in standard household recycling. Used grounds also need disposal, and local waste rules vary. The source does not establish that the system produces no waste.
How does Keurig Alta differ from Lavazza Tablì?
Both use coffee rounds rather than conventional capsules. The source describes Keurig’s AltaRounds as having “plastic-free, plant-based protection,” while Lavazza says Tablì’s rounds are 100% coffee with no coatings or binders. It does not offer a full independent comparison.
Can used coffee grounds go in household food-waste collections?
John Verity of Divert told Livingetc that most UK council food-waste collections accept coffee grounds. He also said they can go into home composting. Check local guidance, since collection rules differ.
Source: livingetc.com
