Aluminum from Nespresso capsules to make bicycles

Thomas Reuter, general manager of Nespresso in Spain, has reported on the recycling plan of Nestlé and all its brands related to coffee in capsules, through its Dolce Gusto and Nespresso brands.

Reuter says that aluminum is a very important element because it can be recycled over and over again without limits. The company has created a worldwide plan to recycle its capsules and, by inviting other companies to join their program, they hope to provide a solution not only for their company but for the industry as a whole. This decision is part of its global commitment to achieve a waste-free future and promote a shift towards a circular economy where capsules can have a second life.

The aluminum used in Nespresso capsules, once recycled, can have various applications, such as in the manufacture of car engines, pens, bicycles, computers and cans. In addition, the coffee grounds used in the capsules can be used to produce biogas and organic fertilizers.

Nestlé has invited other coffee manufacturers to join the selective capsule collection system they started ten years ago. This proposal seeks to promote the creation of a global recycling system for coffee capsules in Spain.

The famous company has taken the decision to allow other companies in the same sector to join its recycling system. In this way, it seeks to improve the ease and convenience in the recycling process of capsules made of plastic or aluminum. In addition, participating companies will follow the program’s management model and help promote its use in general.

Nestlé Spain

Nestlé’s collection and recycling system is the most advanced in Spain. The company collects and recycles both its own capsules and those of other brands that consumers deposit in more than 2,000 collection points. These points are located in collaboration with city councils and municipal agencies, covering a service for approximately 25 million Spaniards in 38 provinces. In addition to including clean points, there are also Nespresso Boutiques and outlets committed to the environment that accept these capsules for recycling.

According to Nestlé Spain’s Director of Coffees, Silvia Escudé, the decision to open the recycling system to other companies in the sector is an important step forward that is in line with Nescafé Dolce Gusto’s principles of reduction, reuse and recycling.