Nestlé Starbucks by Espresso and Nescafé Farmers Origins are the latest brands within the food and beverage giant’s café-inspired portfolio to introduce capsules made using 80% recycled aluminum across the entire retail range.
is 8% lighter than before
The capsules are also now made with thinner aluminium foil, so each capsule uses 9.2% less aluminium and is 8% lighter than before.
According to Nestlé, 80% is the upper threshold for inclusion of recycled content, due to the nature of the aluminium alloy required for manufacturing coffee capsules.
Infinitely recyclable, aluminium is one of the most widely recycled materials in the world. Recycled aluminium requires 95% less energy to produce than virgin aluminium, so it is well-suited to use in a circular business model, Nestlé says.
Nestlé general manager Coffee and Dairy, Martin Brown, said, “One way to drive circularity is to actively and continuously look at how you can create new life from the materials that you use, and the way in which they’re disposed.”
“It’s important that we not only provide ways for consumers to recycle their capsules, but that we also support demand for recycled materials by using them wherever we can,” Brown said.
“Using recycled aluminum for our retail ready capsules is a benefit we’re incredibly excited to bring to Australian shoppers, protecting the quality of our coffee, while also trying to look after the environment.”
Apart from its recyclability, aluminium is also a good barrier to oxygen, light and humidity, protecting the freshness and aromas of high-quality coffee.
Nestlé says it is committed to the sustainability journey of its products and packaging in coffee, which includes advocating for adequate recycling infrastructure regardless of the material used and giving waste a second life.
To drive recycling of capsules, Starbucks by Nespresso and Nescafé Farmers Origins offer recycling points at Nespresso boutiques and designated florists, providing individuals with simple and accessible solutions to recycle used capsules.
Last year, Nespresso was the first retail coffee brand to launch capsules made from 80% recycled aluminum across the Original Line Master Origin Colombia coffee, and has since extended to the full Original Line and Vertuo ranges of coffee capsules.
