''George Clooney has almost single-handedly launched an entire new waste stream globally as a result of fronting the Nespresso adverts. shows the Clooney effect has undoubtedly been enormous in this. But George Clooney - for a guy who is so switched on to civil rights and other issues - to lead the charge in causing such environmental damage and waste and other issues is really disappointing.'' [Jon Dee, head of environmental group DoSomething and founder of National Recycling Week, Planet Ark and National Tree Day]
John Dee is admirably ardent about the needs of our environment. George Clooney has not almost single-handedly done anything except act in some ads and get paid for allowing Nestle to use his sex appeal. Acting is his job. Sex appeal is why he still has one. Yes, coffee capsules are creating a waste problem. If the numbers that Geoff Parker, head of the Australian Beverages Council, quoted this week are correct, there are 15% of 5 billion coffee capsules being thrown away each year. The answer is not to castigate George Clooney. Sadly, because pods are a fad that may have still have years of sales growth and decades of market dominance left, the solution is not in prohibition, but in damage control - aka, recyclability, compostability and/or biodegradability.
Nestle’s Nespresso capsule machine was launched in 1986 and was first marketed to the office coffee sectors in Switzerland, Japan and Italy. It also registered 1700 patents to cover its capsules and machinery. In 2000, the first Nespresso boutique opened in Paris, and in 2006 the First George Clooney marketing campaign began. Annual sales then began to exceed $US1.8bn (Aus$1.93bn) for the first time. By 2012 there were 300 boutiques in 48 countries. There are now 12 Nespresso boutiques in Australia and seven million people joined the Nespresso Club in 2011. Nespresso products have a reported profit margin of 20-30% and in 2013, analysts have estimated a 47% market growth in single serve coffees globally, taking sales to $US8bn (Aus$8.6bn) in 2014.
Nespresso capsules are aluminium. Most of its 50 competitors are plastic. Because of their mixed material make-up, single serve coffee pods are not easily recyclable, and while a few brands have paid lip service to offering recycling services, they have few recycling points and limited collection service. Environmentally friendlier capsules are appearing. Biome Bioplastics has developed a range of compostable materials for coffee pods based on renewable sources such as plant starches and tree by-products. It says that these bioplastics will degrade to prescribed international standards in composting environments. Global chemical giant, BASF, also. Review our October news report on BASF here.
Nespresso claims that aluminium packaging is more environmentally friendly. The company admits it is yet to solve inadequacies in the recyclability of tits capsules and has recently formed a Sustainability Advisory Board to achieve the stated goals of the “AAA Sustainable Quality Program.” This program started ten years ago in partnership with the Rainforest Alliance and other stakeholders, with the aim of promoting sustainable coffee growing and, by association, sustainable communities.
Explore Nespresso's sustainability mini-site here.
There is always good to come out of a fracas. In this case, it is the attention that bioplastic capsules are receiving. "Single–serve coffee pods are an excellent example of the fundamental role that packaging plays in delivering quality and convenience in the food service sector,” said Biome chief executive officer, Paul Mines. “The challenge is to reduce environmental impact through packaging optimisation without impacting on food quality or safety, or inconveniencing the customer. Bioplastics are an important part of the solution.”
Biome Bioplastics' portfolio of compostable materials for coffee pods has been available since October 2013. It based on renewable, natural resources including plant starches and tree by-products. These bioplastics will degrade to prescribed international standards in composting environments.
Canadian coffee company, Canterbury Coffee Corp, developed the OneCoffee pod last year. This more environmentally friendly alternative to single-serve coffee pods is made from a PLA-based resin, is compostable and biodegradable. It is made with 40% less plastic than traditional pods, and the support structure for its hard plastic ring will compost in an anaerobic environment. Canterbury launched the new cups in July 2013 with its organic, fair trade, single-serve coffee, branded OneCoffee.
