Swiss coffee company Nestlé Nespresso S.A. has teamed up with Swedish bike brand Vélosophy to develop and manufacture a bicycle made from recycled aluminium coffee capsules.
The bicycles, which were given the name RE:CYCLE, will be produced in a limited run of 1,000 and are only available through Vélosophy’s website. The project was undertaken in order to highlight the infinite recyclability of aluminium and to encourage consumers to recycle used aluminium coffee capsules.
Nespresso CEO Jean-Marc Duvoisin said the bicycles are a perfect way to marry sustainability and style.
“Through our collaboration with Vélosophy, we’re illustrating to coffee lovers the potential of recycling their aluminum Nespresso capsules. By using recycled capsules to make beautiful bicycles, Vélosophy brings sustainability and style together to create a truly meaningful experience, bringing to life the importance of recycling.”
“We have been inspired by working with Vélosophy, and I hope the RE:CYCLE bicycle inspires people to recycle,” he concluded.
CEO and Founder of Vélosophy Jimmy Östholm said the project dovetails with his company’s commitment to making the world a better place.
“We created Vélosophy with a clear purpose: to have a positive impact on the world. This purpose drives everything we do, from our promise to give a bike to a schoolgirl for every Vélosophy we sell, to producing our stylish city bikes from recycled aluminum.”
“I see in Nespresso a strong commitment to sustainability, which is why this has been the dream partnership,” he elaborated. “We are proud to have co-created a bike that takes on the future. It is beautifully designed, responsibly sourced and sustainably produced.”
This project is Nespresso’s latest foray into recycling, a pursuit it began in 1991 with a program in Switzerland. Nespresso’s initial recycling program is now a CHF40-million-per-year project with over 100,000 drop-off points in over 53 countries.