Ever since Nespresso launched its first recycling scheme in Switzerland in 1991, the company has been on a journey towards a more circular model to drive the changes that our planet and societies need
Sustainability is at the heart of everything Nespresso does. Becoming more circular in its operations, including the way it sources, uses and recycles materials, is crucial to sustainable transformation and making a positive difference in business.
Nespresso’s ground coffee is enclosed in aluminium capsules because aluminium is the best material to protect the freshness, taste, and quality of the coffee. Aluminium also has the unique advantage of being infinitely recyclable and recycled aluminium is extremely versatile. An estimated 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today, according to the European Aluminium Association.
It is also crucial to making the process as convenient as possible for the consumer. Nespresso encourages their consumers to recycle by making it easy to participate.
In South Africa with every purchase, whether it’s in person at a Nespresso boutique or with their online order, Nespresso consumers are provided with a free recycling bag, each holding up to 65 Vertuo and 100 Original capsules.
So, whenever the consumer brews a cup of Nespresso coffee, they simply dispose of the used capsule in the recycling bag, which they can return for recycling in one of three ways:
- Scheduling a Free Pickup: the consumer can arrange a collection with the Nespresso courier partner by emailing
club@za.nespresso.com or calling the Customer Relationship Centre - In person at a Nespresso boutique: the consumer can drop off the bag with the used capsules at any convenient Nespresso Boutique
- The Next Order: the consumer can hand over the bag with used capsules when their next Nespresso order is delivered to their door.
The used capsules handed in by the consumer are recycled at Nespresso’s recycling partner Oricol Environmental Services’ recycling facilities in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Using a customised packaging separation machine developed by Nespresso, the aluminium in the used capsules is separated from the coffee grounds and then undergoes a further recycling process at a steel smelter. The recovered aluminium can be re-used for anything from tins to airplane parts. The leftover coffee grounds are transformed into compost.
This is conservation made easy, offering consumers the luxury of barista-quality coffee in their own homes while making a positive impact on the environment. By recycling their Nespresso capsules, the consumer contributes to keeping material in use for longer. It is, indeed, as the Nespresso saying goes, making coffee a force for good. This is how Nespresso and its consumers are building sustainability together — one capsule at a time.
