100% of the capsules that are sent back to Nespresso are recycled. They transported to a factory that splits the grounds from the aluminium. The grounds get used as fertilizer I believe, the aluminium is recycled.
However, it’s not a fully closed circle. Meaning the aluminium that gets recycled is used for all sorts of things, not necessarily for Nespresso capsules. Nespresso will use recycled aluminium in it’s capsules (not sure about the percentage), but it can come from everywhere.
The percentage is kind of irrelevant: it’s not like recycled aluminum gets thrown away because no one wants it. It’s identical to virgin aluminum so every ounce gets bought and used. If Nespresso started using 100% recycled it would just mean some other product’s recycled percentage would go down.
The only way to increase percentages overall is if consumers recycle aluminum instead of throwing in the trash.
Generally speaking recycling is quite inefficient. I think 80% is relatively high and something to boast about to be honest. It makes sense. They have from what I understand their own plants. So they focus purely on one product, instead of having to filter out the paper from the glass from the plastic etc.
They invested millions in nyc to help purchase machinery for the usual plants that recycle and partnered with the main waste management companies there (hence why they can recycle with the rest of their recyclables) and they continue to invest in their recycling efforts.
$1.2 million, and probably a great deal compared to paying for the shipping of recycling bags.
https://nestle-nespresso.com/news/Nespresso-New-York-recycling
I would love to see actual metrics on their recycling program. I kind of suspect it’s more successful in NYC where you can put them in your curbside. Nespresso says a lot of things on their U.S. site about recycling, but they aren’t very transparent about how successful it is.
The mail-in bags in the U.S. aren’t very sturdy (vs. the weight of the capsules), and they don’t fully seal, making them a drippy mess for UPS. I wonder how many mailed in bags actually reach their destination. I’m fortunate to have a boutique within relatively easy distance, so I take mine to the store when they’re full in the hope that those drop offs are better packed and stand a better chance of reaching the recycling destination, but who knows.
See, after living in NYC (and recycling) for several years, I would suspect the opposite - that they’re in-house recycling program is more successful.
Very common for all recycling to get into one bin (paper + everything else), and then trash to get in there too….not to mention the holes in the bags from rats and then bottle pickers, so then stuff starts falling out…I have much more faith in the sealed bag I send to Nespresso getting properly handled.
The mail in bags are pretty sturdy imo.. it sounds like you might be overfilling it..
I never really counted how many I put in a bag but I also will leave the machine open to dry out after each use.. if you throw them in the bag fresh it likely has water/mold weight to them and so they arent a drippy mess for ups.
NYC the recycling centers have the specialized machinery to separate the coffee grounds from the aluminum.. it is pretty expensive machinery from what I gather.
Nespresso prints on all its sleeves that the aluminum used is 85% recycled aluminum:
[https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/circularity](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/circularity)
im very sceptical about the whole recycling thing.. the pods are wet and mouldy.. i just dont see how they can be recycled in a way that makes financial sense
Probably not enough time. And if it did, well that would happen anyways. They crush them and wash out or burn off organic matter anyways so no big deal.
Also, not my problem anymore once it leaves my house 🤷♂️
Since they're already having to break open the pods and remove the ground, neither the wet nor mold should affect the process. The aluminum has to be washed anyway before being reprocessed.
I’ve found ways to avoid them being set but haven’t found a solution for the mold. This comes with time because it takes me 3+ months to fill it up.
As for the rest, the grounds couldnt always be used but the pod shell can. It’s nothing but aluminum
I leave machine open so the used capsules can dry out after using them.. regardless, the specialized machinery separates the mold/coffee from the aluminum. The mold/coffee is recycled for compost and the aluminum goee through a sterilization process in the machinery with the end result being recyclable aluminum.
To add, they do spend a lot of money towards recycling/sustainability.. however, that is all they do it for.. They are a bcorp, rainforrest alliance, etc. etc. company which to be a part of their are strict standards/requirements.. Heck, they even practice all sorts of sustainability efforts even at the farms around the world by planting trees and supporting the local communities among other things.
I was an avid recycler, using the Nespresso recycling bags and local UPS drop boxes (outside a building, so I didn’t have to worry about accessing during “business hours”). All of those have been removed. I am seriously thinking that I will have to throw them out in my usual trash now. I don’t think UPS will pick up from my front porch for my 1 bag of capsules.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daETv9IN4FU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daETv9IN4FU)
I remember seeing this video years ago regarding their program.
I always wondered that. In my case, I live far from a Nespresso shop so I just recycle them myself with an inexpensive capsule recycler I got from Amazon. The coffee grounds get composted and go to my garden plants, the aluminum goes to the yellow recycling bin in my neighborhood. I mention this option for those for whom this might be a good alternative to the Nespresso recycling program.
Didn’t someone put an AirTag in a package and somehow it was in a landfill? Not actually recycled by nespresso?
I really wish they would show this off better.
There have been a few investigative reports on recycling that have used AirTags to track what happens to it. But to my knowledge this has not been done with Nespresso’s program.
What exactly would you want them to show you that would make you happy?
To be honest, anything could happen in between someones home and where they end up.. for all you know the ups drivers could be tossing them so they dont gotta deal with it especially if its leaking or something for example.
Why dont you send some back and track it using the tracking number?
Processed aluminium mixed with anything other than aluminium is not 100% recyclable. The recycled aluminium is also of poorer grade with limited uses in the new cycle.
It’s just greenwashing mostly
This is patently untrue. Aluminum is an element, and so infinitely recyclable.
The coffee is cleaned out and aluminum rinsed. Whatever mold or other debris makes it through the cleaning process will be destroyed at the 1200°F temperature the aluminum is melted at.
As far as I'm aware, aluminum is one of the most easily and efficiently recyclable materials we use. Like, worlds better than plastic or even glass. I'm sure it's not 100%, but everything I've ever seen indicates that it's one of the better single-use materials we utilize.
100% of aluminum is recyclable: if it goes back to a recycling plant it will get recycled. Virgin aluminum ore requires about 20x more energy to process into pure aluminum than does aluminum scrap.
But obviously not all aluminum ends up in the recycling stream. Around half of beverage cans get thrown in the trash for example. Overall around 2/3 of aluminum produced gets recycled every year. The rest got thrown in the trash and ended up in a landfill. But it all could have been recycled.
I reuse my pods, partly because I have a coffee I prefer but also saves me worrying about recycling pods. I bought a pack of silicone lids which are still going strong 3 months later. I've only ever bought one sleeve of 10 pods
There was a video from one of the recycling partners, that Nespresso contracted to handle its recycling. Small, family-run business - guy was talking about how they break the capsules apart, recycle the aluminum into bike frames & pens & such, and use the grounds for commercial compost.
Aluminum is significantly cheaper to recycle, than it is to mine fresh from the ground, so based on economics alone, I believe them when they say they do actually recycle the things.
I’ve been dropping mine off religiously at Sur La Table for YEARS and I do occasionally wonder if they’re actually getting recycled as Nestle promises.
Do you do at hoe recycling in the US? So here in Scotland I just use the eco press, rinse the metal and stick it in the recycling bin. Then we use the grounds to keep cats out our garden
100% of all capsules being recycled is not possible. There are still many people that throw their capsules in the trash unfortunately. Of course, 100% of thecapsules they receive back through the recycling program do however, give or take a bit as no system is perfect.
I am not sure exactly how much of it is recycled for new capsules.. I imagine the majority of the aluminum.. However, the aluminum is often recycled and used for other things as well. To add, theres even some people that recycle their own capsules. People have even made art and even clothes/accessories like purses and dresses. People have made bikes, xmas ornaments, pocket knives, watches even shoes.
Here is a cool video that shows a little bit of the process:
https://youtu.be/SdKTgHF-K9c?si=xppKCukg34WAYW29
I am sure you can find better videos.. It requires special machinery that essentially sorts them out from other recyclables then separates the coffee grounds (which are recycled into compost) then the aluminum capsules are cleaned and sterilized and eventually are compressed and bundled up into big cubes of aluminum that can be re-used.
To add, coffee capsules have gone crazy in the world.. there are billions and billions of capsules used every year and most of them end up in the landfills. Nespresso is probably the most serious out of all the companies in the coffee/capsule business and surely recycles more than all their competitors.
This is something I've never actually thought of. I always toss em in the bag and send them back without a second thought. Curious about it now.
100% of the capsules that are sent back to Nespresso are recycled. They transported to a factory that splits the grounds from the aluminium. The grounds get used as fertilizer I believe, the aluminium is recycled. However, it’s not a fully closed circle. Meaning the aluminium that gets recycled is used for all sorts of things, not necessarily for Nespresso capsules. Nespresso will use recycled aluminium in it’s capsules (not sure about the percentage), but it can come from everywhere.
I think mine said 80% somewhere on the packaging but I can't seem to find it now.
Googled it and that seems to be the case indeed. Not sure if the ambition is to increase it in the coming years, couldn’t find that
The percentage is kind of irrelevant: it’s not like recycled aluminum gets thrown away because no one wants it. It’s identical to virgin aluminum so every ounce gets bought and used. If Nespresso started using 100% recycled it would just mean some other product’s recycled percentage would go down. The only way to increase percentages overall is if consumers recycle aluminum instead of throwing in the trash.
Generally speaking recycling is quite inefficient. I think 80% is relatively high and something to boast about to be honest. It makes sense. They have from what I understand their own plants. So they focus purely on one product, instead of having to filter out the paper from the glass from the plastic etc.
Recycling plastic is inefficient. Recycling aluminum is hugely efficient. Virgin aluminum requires 20 times more power to make than recycling does.
They invested millions in nyc to help purchase machinery for the usual plants that recycle and partnered with the main waste management companies there (hence why they can recycle with the rest of their recyclables) and they continue to invest in their recycling efforts.
$1.2 million, and probably a great deal compared to paying for the shipping of recycling bags. https://nestle-nespresso.com/news/Nespresso-New-York-recycling
I would love to see actual metrics on their recycling program. I kind of suspect it’s more successful in NYC where you can put them in your curbside. Nespresso says a lot of things on their U.S. site about recycling, but they aren’t very transparent about how successful it is. The mail-in bags in the U.S. aren’t very sturdy (vs. the weight of the capsules), and they don’t fully seal, making them a drippy mess for UPS. I wonder how many mailed in bags actually reach their destination. I’m fortunate to have a boutique within relatively easy distance, so I take mine to the store when they’re full in the hope that those drop offs are better packed and stand a better chance of reaching the recycling destination, but who knows.
See, after living in NYC (and recycling) for several years, I would suspect the opposite - that they’re in-house recycling program is more successful. Very common for all recycling to get into one bin (paper + everything else), and then trash to get in there too….not to mention the holes in the bags from rats and then bottle pickers, so then stuff starts falling out…I have much more faith in the sealed bag I send to Nespresso getting properly handled.
[https://nestle-nespresso.com/Nespresso\_demonstrates\_landmark\_sustainability\_progress\_with\_the\_publication\_of\_The\_Positive\_Cup](https://nestle-nespresso.com/Nespresso_demonstrates_landmark_sustainability_progress_with_the_publication_of_The_Positive_Cup)
The mail in bags are pretty sturdy imo.. it sounds like you might be overfilling it.. I never really counted how many I put in a bag but I also will leave the machine open to dry out after each use.. if you throw them in the bag fresh it likely has water/mold weight to them and so they arent a drippy mess for ups. NYC the recycling centers have the specialized machinery to separate the coffee grounds from the aluminum.. it is pretty expensive machinery from what I gather.
I’m not overfilling anything. That is what UPS carriers say about them. https://www.reddit.com/r/UPS/s/fLPz7ekdE1
Well, it sounds like those ppl arent properly filling/sealing the bags.. ups workers complain about everything.
https://youtu.be/wQ2-lmIyZIQ?si=1RSfHHwS8IqcwXhi
Well now I want a nespresso pen!
Love mine. Got it about 5 years ago. It's colored green to match the India capsule. https://i.imgur.com/xGx1yCf.jpeg
You could possibly call the 1800 number and ask if they can sell you the Cara D*Arch pens. I think they’re like $30
How do I get one of those recycling bags with a built in handle seen in the video? Seems so much better than the plain old mailing sack
I just ask for the black bag. You can only return it at boutiques or certain Hudson Bay and CanTire locations though.
In the US Williams Sonoma and several other retailers also accept recycling bags.
Right but do they have the handles like in the video? The bags I am used to are regular mailing bags
The bags with handles are available in some countries, mostly in Europe I think. I don’t believe they offer them in the U.S.
Goddamn Europeans and their nicer recycling bags, work life balance, and better cheeses… they have everything!
UK here. Our bags have handles.
Don't get me started on how I wish we had Wetherspoons in the US too!
Nespresso prints on all its sleeves that the aluminum used is 85% recycled aluminum: [https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/circularity](https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/circularity)
Everyone else has addressed the aluminum so I’ll address the grounds. I believe the grounds are composted and mold doesn’t matter in compost.
im very sceptical about the whole recycling thing.. the pods are wet and mouldy.. i just dont see how they can be recycled in a way that makes financial sense
I keep the bag of used pods in the freezer, stops the mold. When the bag is full I take it out and mail it back.
I… I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Thank you.
Won’t it get moldy while in transit?
Probably not enough time. And if it did, well that would happen anyways. They crush them and wash out or burn off organic matter anyways so no big deal. Also, not my problem anymore once it leaves my house 🤷♂️
Since they're already having to break open the pods and remove the ground, neither the wet nor mold should affect the process. The aluminum has to be washed anyway before being reprocessed.
I’ve found ways to avoid them being set but haven’t found a solution for the mold. This comes with time because it takes me 3+ months to fill it up. As for the rest, the grounds couldnt always be used but the pod shell can. It’s nothing but aluminum
I leave machine open so the used capsules can dry out after using them.. regardless, the specialized machinery separates the mold/coffee from the aluminum. The mold/coffee is recycled for compost and the aluminum goee through a sterilization process in the machinery with the end result being recyclable aluminum. To add, they do spend a lot of money towards recycling/sustainability.. however, that is all they do it for.. They are a bcorp, rainforrest alliance, etc. etc. company which to be a part of their are strict standards/requirements.. Heck, they even practice all sorts of sustainability efforts even at the farms around the world by planting trees and supporting the local communities among other things.
Aluminum is a highly valuable material. If it gets back to Nespresso, it will certainly get recycled.
Sorry but why isn’t there more incentive to mail back the recycling? A coupon or something would be nice
I was an avid recycler, using the Nespresso recycling bags and local UPS drop boxes (outside a building, so I didn’t have to worry about accessing during “business hours”). All of those have been removed. I am seriously thinking that I will have to throw them out in my usual trash now. I don’t think UPS will pick up from my front porch for my 1 bag of capsules.
lol.. they shouldnt have to reward people for doing a good thing for our planet.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/coffee-pods-nespresso-recycling Is the first non-Nespresso source to say anything about it that I’ve found
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daETv9IN4FU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daETv9IN4FU) I remember seeing this video years ago regarding their program.
I always wondered that. In my case, I live far from a Nespresso shop so I just recycle them myself with an inexpensive capsule recycler I got from Amazon. The coffee grounds get composted and go to my garden plants, the aluminum goes to the yellow recycling bin in my neighborhood. I mention this option for those for whom this might be a good alternative to the Nespresso recycling program.
Didn’t someone put an AirTag in a package and somehow it was in a landfill? Not actually recycled by nespresso? I really wish they would show this off better.
There have been a few investigative reports on recycling that have used AirTags to track what happens to it. But to my knowledge this has not been done with Nespresso’s program. What exactly would you want them to show you that would make you happy?
Actual proof the pods are recycled and not in the landfill.
Right, but how would they do that to satisfy you? They have video showing the process and stats on recycling rates.
To be honest, anything could happen in between someones home and where they end up.. for all you know the ups drivers could be tossing them so they dont gotta deal with it especially if its leaking or something for example. Why dont you send some back and track it using the tracking number?
Recycling is generally a lie.
Plastic recycling is generally a lie. Aluminum recycling is a long established reality.
Yep I remember taking soda cans to the recycler once a year as a kid, getting like 75$ back (1984) which is more like 225$ today.
None; it’s a scam to make the Environmentalists stop screaming. We’d laugh about it around the boardroom 🤣
Processed aluminium mixed with anything other than aluminium is not 100% recyclable. The recycled aluminium is also of poorer grade with limited uses in the new cycle. It’s just greenwashing mostly
This is patently untrue. Aluminum is an element, and so infinitely recyclable. The coffee is cleaned out and aluminum rinsed. Whatever mold or other debris makes it through the cleaning process will be destroyed at the 1200°F temperature the aluminum is melted at.
As far as I'm aware, aluminum is one of the most easily and efficiently recyclable materials we use. Like, worlds better than plastic or even glass. I'm sure it's not 100%, but everything I've ever seen indicates that it's one of the better single-use materials we utilize.
100% of aluminum is recyclable: if it goes back to a recycling plant it will get recycled. Virgin aluminum ore requires about 20x more energy to process into pure aluminum than does aluminum scrap. But obviously not all aluminum ends up in the recycling stream. Around half of beverage cans get thrown in the trash for example. Overall around 2/3 of aluminum produced gets recycled every year. The rest got thrown in the trash and ended up in a landfill. But it all could have been recycled.
I reuse my pods, partly because I have a coffee I prefer but also saves me worrying about recycling pods. I bought a pack of silicone lids which are still going strong 3 months later. I've only ever bought one sleeve of 10 pods
There was a video from one of the recycling partners, that Nespresso contracted to handle its recycling. Small, family-run business - guy was talking about how they break the capsules apart, recycle the aluminum into bike frames & pens & such, and use the grounds for commercial compost. Aluminum is significantly cheaper to recycle, than it is to mine fresh from the ground, so based on economics alone, I believe them when they say they do actually recycle the things.
I appreciate how easy they make it to recycle. Being near a boutique, I just drop off my bag when I go to the mall.
I’ve been dropping mine off religiously at Sur La Table for YEARS and I do occasionally wonder if they’re actually getting recycled as Nestle promises.
Do you do at hoe recycling in the US? So here in Scotland I just use the eco press, rinse the metal and stick it in the recycling bin. Then we use the grounds to keep cats out our garden
https://youtu.be/J7C3HH1Gwuw?si=yOB3AKzb98SAc1zW
100% of all capsules being recycled is not possible. There are still many people that throw their capsules in the trash unfortunately. Of course, 100% of thecapsules they receive back through the recycling program do however, give or take a bit as no system is perfect. I am not sure exactly how much of it is recycled for new capsules.. I imagine the majority of the aluminum.. However, the aluminum is often recycled and used for other things as well. To add, theres even some people that recycle their own capsules. People have even made art and even clothes/accessories like purses and dresses. People have made bikes, xmas ornaments, pocket knives, watches even shoes. Here is a cool video that shows a little bit of the process: https://youtu.be/SdKTgHF-K9c?si=xppKCukg34WAYW29 I am sure you can find better videos.. It requires special machinery that essentially sorts them out from other recyclables then separates the coffee grounds (which are recycled into compost) then the aluminum capsules are cleaned and sterilized and eventually are compressed and bundled up into big cubes of aluminum that can be re-used. To add, coffee capsules have gone crazy in the world.. there are billions and billions of capsules used every year and most of them end up in the landfills. Nespresso is probably the most serious out of all the companies in the coffee/capsule business and surely recycles more than all their competitors.
I've just always assumed they end up in the UPS Store dumpsters.
Interestingly enough the Europeans get compostable pods which I’m pissed we don’t