Nespresso recycles a third of its coffee capsules

Nespresso currently recycles a third of its capsules and uses coffee that is 93 per cent sustainable. These are the preliminary result after seven years of The Positive Cup sustainability strategy, which, so far, has cost the coffee producer 540 million euros.

Project of half a billion

In addition to using certified sustainable coffee, the project also includes reducing carbon emissions and recycling the capsules. In the last seven years, Nespresso has only managed to recycle one-third of all aluminium capsules, even though 90 per cent of consumers have access to a recycling solution for their used capsules. For example, in Belgium and Luxembourg, there are 1,100 collection points. On top of that, customers also have the option to return their capsules to the delivery service. 

In the meantime, new capsules made of 80 per cent recycled aluminium have also been launched. The initial intention was for all new aluminium to be sustainably sourced, however, this target has not been met and has been postponed to 2022.

Towards carbon-neutral coffee

According to Nespresso, over 93 per cent of coffee is now sustainably farmed, with almost half of it certified. To improve the lives of farmers, the coffee brand is also providing its long-term support to more than 110,000 coffee farmers, offering them training, retirement savings and crop insurance, to name a few.

Overall, Nespresso has reduced its carbon footprint by 24 per cent compared to 2009. By next year, every cup in the world should be carbon neutral. This is already the case for the B2B business in Belgium and Luxembourg. This includes, for example, coffee delivered to offices and businesses within the hospitality industry. To make deliveries more environmentally friendly, Nespresso collaborates with Cargo Velo in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels.