Swiss coffee company Nestlé Nespresso S.A.’s division Nespresso Canada announced on Wednesday a pair of new recycling initiatives, including the use of coffee capsules made from 80 percent recycled aluminium content.
Per the firm, the initial run of new aluminium capsules will be used on a variety of single-origin coffee, but it said that it hopes to have its full line of coffee products shipped in the new capsules.
Julie Pomerleau, Vice-President, Marketing at Nespresso Canada, expanded upon the importance of the initiative in a related press release.
“This announcement allows Nespresso to continue improving its environmental impact, a very important objective for us. This is a significant milestone in our journey towards circularity and in maximizing the reuse of product materials. This is aligned with the principle of extended producer responsibility, a key concept for Nespresso.”
The new capsules are 8-percent lighter than its current containers thanks in part to the use of almost 10-percent less aluminium in their production. Additionally, the new capsules require less energy to produce than those made from primary aluminium.
Nespresso says the new product is a logical extension of its drive to sustainable production and a circular economy. The firm says the use of recycled aluminium capsules is only a first step in the journey, as it intends to continue increasing the recycled content in the capsules. Nespresso also plans to make changes to the recycling process to make it easier for consumers to recycle the capsules.