If you’re looking into a Keurig settlement, two U.S. cases matter: a $950,000 settlement over K-Supreme coffee makers that died during descaling, which is still paying claims, and a $10 million settlement over misleading “recyclable” claims on K-Cup pods, whose claim window has closed. A separate $1.5 million SEC penalty and multiple Canadian actions round out the picture but do not pay individual U.S. consumers. Here is what each one covers and how to file if you’re still eligible.
K-Supreme Descaling Defect Settlement
This is the settlement most U.S. consumers can still act on. Keurig Green Mountain agreed to a $950,000 fund to resolve Cahill v. Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., a class action alleging that three K-Supreme models — the K-Supreme, K-Supreme Plus, and K-Supreme SMART — could be permanently disabled by following Keurig’s own descaling instructions.1ClassAction.org. Cahill v. Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. Settlement Agreement Keurig did not admit any defect or liability.
The Alleged Defect
Keurig’s descaling directions tell users to run the machine with a descaling solution. The lawsuit said those directions failed to warn that the water reservoir can empty during the cycle, causing the machine to overheat and trip an internal thermal switch that shuts it down. The reset button was described in the complaint as “practically inaccessible,” reachable only by taking the machine apart and pressing it with a paperclip. Owners who ran the descaling cycle as instructed often could not get their coffee maker to turn back on.2ClassAction.org. Keurig Green Mountain Coffee Maker Won’t Turn On? Descaling Defect May Be to Blame
Who Qualifies
Both classes are limited to U.S. purchasers of a covered K-Supreme model or Keurig Descaling Solution between October 1, 2020, and June 20, 2025. There are two tiers:3KSupremeSettlement.com. Cahill v. Keurig Green Mountain Long Form Notice
- Performance Issue Claim Class. Your machine lost power during descaling within the first 12 months of purchase, and you either complained to Keurig and got no warranty remedy, or you can otherwise demonstrate a valid claim that it failed during descaling. Payment is cash, up to $250, distributed pro rata based on how many valid claims come in.4PR Newswire. Purchasers of Certain Keurig K-Supreme Coffee Makers May Be Entitled to a Payment
- Coffee Maker Purchaser Class. You bought a covered machine or descaling solution during the class period but don’t fit the first tier. You don’t get cash. You get a 12-month warranty extension, which brings total coverage to 24 months from your purchase date.5ClassAction.org. $950K Keurig Green Mountain Settlement Ends Lawsuit Over Allegedly Defective K-Supreme Coffee Makers
If your machine is still covered under Keurig’s original limited warranty or the extended warranty period, you’re excluded from both classes.3KSupremeSettlement.com. Cahill v. Keurig Green Mountain Long Form Notice
How to File
File online at KSupremeSettlement.com using the unique ID and PIN from your settlement notice, or download and mail a paper claim form from the same site. Deadlines depend on when the machine failed:
- November 14, 2025 for Performance Issue Claim Class members, and for Coffee Maker Purchaser Class members whose machines lost power before June 20, 2025.
- September 30, 2027 for Coffee Maker Purchaser Class members whose machines lose power after June 20, 2025.
The court gave final approval on September 30, 2025.6KSupremeSettlement.com. KSupremeSettlement.com – Official Settlement Website The administrator began issuing payments to approved claimants on February 6, 2026.7ClaimDepot. K-Supreme Settlement You can check status at KSupremeSettlement.com or call 1-888-839-5739.4PR Newswire. Purchasers of Certain Keurig K-Supreme Coffee Makers May Be Entitled to a Payment
K-Cup Pod Recyclability Settlement
The larger Keurig settlement, at $10 million, resolved Smith v. Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. in the Northern District of California. Consumers alleged Keurig misled buyers by marketing polypropylene K-Cup pods as recyclable when most materials recovery facilities across the country could not actually process the small pods. Sorting facilities routinely discarded them or let them contaminate the recycling stream.8Resource Recycling. Keurig Agrees to $10 Million Settlement, Recycling Disclaimer
Who Was Eligible and What They Got
The class covered anyone in the United States who bought K-Cup pods labeled as recyclable for personal or household use between June 8, 2016, and August 8, 2022.9Justia. Smith v. Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., Stipulated Final Judgment Payouts were small: $5 per household without proof of purchase, or 35 cents per 10 pods with receipts, capped at $36.8Resource Recycling. Keurig Agrees to $10 Million Settlement, Recycling Disclaimer The court entered final judgment on March 17, 2023, and the claim window is closed. If you missed it, there is no remaining U.S. consumer claim tied to K-Cup recyclability.
The Labeling Change That Remains
The settlement required Keurig to add a disclaimer — “Check Locally – Not Recycled in Many Communities” — anywhere it represents the pods as recyclable, whether on packaging, in advertising, or in promotional materials. The disclaimer must sit close to the recycling claim and appear at a font size at least 55% as large as the recycling representation.9Justia. Smith v. Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., Stipulated Final Judgment
The SEC Penalty Doesn’t Pay Consumers
On September 10, 2024, the SEC charged Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. with making inaccurate statements in its 2019 and 2020 annual reports. The 10-K filings told investors that testing “validate[d] that [K-Cup pods] can be effectively recycled” but omitted that two of the largest U.S. recyclers — together running more than a third of the country’s recycling facilities — had told Keurig they had “significant concerns” about curbside recycling of the pods and did not plan to accept them.10SEC. SEC Charges Keurig Dr Pepper With Making Inaccurate Statements
Keurig agreed to a cease-and-desist order and a $1.5 million civil penalty without admitting or denying the findings.10SEC. SEC Charges Keurig Dr Pepper With Making Inaccurate Statements This is an enforcement penalty paid to the government. Individual consumers and investors do not file claims against it.
Canadian Actions
Canadian buyers have their own track. Canada’s Competition Bureau reached a consent agreement with Keurig Canada Inc. on January 6, 2022, finding recyclability claims were false or misleading outside of British Columbia and Quebec. Keurig Canada paid a $3 million administrative penalty, donated $800,000 to a Canadian environmental organization, and paid $85,000 in investigation costs. The company also had to change its recyclability claims and packaging and publish corrective notices.11Government of Canada. Keurig Canada to Pay $3 Million Penalty That penalty went to the government, not consumers.
A separate Canadian class action produced consumer payouts. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved a CDN $1.85 million national settlement on December 8, 2025, covering anyone in Canada who bought K-Cup pods or brewers between June 8, 2016, and December 8, 2025.12Yahoo Finance. Keurig K-Cup Recycling Canadian Class Action Notice of Settlement Approval Payouts:
- Pods without proof of purchase: up to CAD $7 per claim.
- Pods with proof of purchase: the greater of CAD $7 or CAD $0.50 per 10 pods, up to CAD $50.
- Brewers with proof of purchase: up to CAD $25, if the claimant also bought pods after the brewer during the class period.
Claims are due by July 8, 2026 at kcupsrecyclingsettlement.ca. The administrator is Eqitas Class Action Claims Administration Services, at 1-866-413-9973 or kcup@eqitas.org.13Newswire.ca. Keurig K-Cup Recycling Canadian Class Action Notice of Settlement Approval This settlement is for Canadian purchases; U.S. buyers are not eligible.