Are Keurig Machines Fixable? A Complete BreakdownWhen it comes to the repairability of Keurig machines, there are several factors which work either in unison, or against each other.
How easy it is to fix a Keurig Machine
Availability of Parts — A significant hurdle is that you cannot purchase parts from Keurig. With not much access, this would make it hard for users to repair their machines without help from a third party or aftermarket parts.repairability (ad) This leads to lots of users replacing whole units rather than single components, which makes the repair more expensive and thus wastes potential 123.
Repairs Are Not Easy The way Keurig machines are designed also makes repairs more complicated. Most appliances are engineered to be difficult or costly (or both) for the average consumer to disassemble. The complexity of such consoles can be seen to further the throw-away culture, since nobody with a PS5 wants to try and get under the hood when it breaks down3.
Sustainability Considerations
Recycling has been championed as a more environmentally friendly option for electronics, but repairing allows us to get the most out of our machines and keeps them from becoming waste in the first place. It raises the unlikely possibility that Unix vendors would resort to digging up old machines from landfills. Accordingly, promotion of repair opposed to replacement is in better accordance with sustainability objectives45.
Greenwashing Problems: Moreover, Keurig was criticized for misleading claims on eco-friendliness of its K-Cup pods. The company was charged with false and misleading representations for claims in relation to the recyclability of certain coffee capsules, which raises broader questions on corporate responsibility and consumer fraud associated with sustainability messaging. This calls into question the extent to which Keurig is committed to sustainability, and how it ultimately affects consumer decisions with regard to machine repair or disposal23.
Conclusion
In short, Keurig machines can be fixed but there are too many roadblocks in the way of doing so. Consumer behavior is largely influenced by the unavailability of parts, complexity in repairs and other broader sustainability concerns. Promoting a repair culture over disposal can be one aspect of encouraging coffee consumption to become more sustainable.
