If you've used Keurig's K-Cups to make your coffee, you may be due part of that payout.
Earlier this year, Keurig Dr. Pepper reached a $10 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit alleging it misrepresents its K-Cups as widely recyclable. After the court hearing last week, the court gave final approval to the settlement.
In a lawsuit filed in District Court in Northern California in 2018, the plaintiffs alleged that the company willingly misled customers about how easily its pods can be recycled, with detailed recycling instructions and a large-print tagline reading, "Have your cup and recycle it, too."
But, the complaint alleges, the cups are not widely recyclable and "usually still end up in landfills."
A detailed report showed recycling companies won't even accept the polypropylene pods, the suit claims, because they're too small and there's no market for materials made from them. In addition, the presence of ground coffee residue and metal contaminants often makes them ineligible for recycling.
What Does This Mean For The Consumer:
If you've used Keurig's K-Cups to make your coffee regularly, you may be due part of the settlement payout. The deadline to file a claim is only a few weeks away, so the sooner you complete the form the better it is for you.
Eligibility To File A Claim:
You can qualify as a class member if you purchased K-Cup single-serving coffee pods that are labeled “recyclable” in the United States for household use between June 8, 2016, and Aug. 8, 2022.
Do I Need Proof of Purchase? With proof of purchase, you will need to keep this in mind. It will affect how much money you receive. With proof of purchase, you can request a refund of $3.50 per 100 pods purchased, with a minimum payment of $6 and a cap of $36. Without proof of purchase, you can expect to claim up to $5 per household.
The Process for Filing a Claim:
You can submit a claim on the settlement website or print out a form, complete it and mail it to:
Smith v. Keurig Green Mountainc/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLCP.O. Box 225391New York, NY 10150-5391
The deadline to file a claim is Jan. 9. 2023.
For more class action lawsuits, find out if you're eligible for money from T-Mobile's $350 million data breach payout or DirecTV's $17 million robocall settlement.
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