Nespresso commits to aluminium coffee capsule recycling

Nestlé Group’s operating unit Nespresso has collaborated with the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and Sims Municipal Recycling (SMR) to facilitate the recovery of aluminium coffee capsules for recycling.

The collaboration will work to recycle Nespresso capsules, as well as 43,000t of aluminium foil and other mixed metals dumped into landfills every year.

The company has also made a commitment of $1.2m towards the initiative.

Overall, the step is expected to assist SMR in procuring and sorting lightweight aluminium and other mixed metals for their recycling and conversion into new products.

Nespresso USA president and CEO Guillaume Le Cunff said: “Nespresso is deeply committed to the circular use of our products, choosing aluminium packaging because it both protects the quality of our exceptional coffees and can be recycled and reused again and again.

“This collaboration will provide New York City-based consumers with another convenient way to recycle used capsules and other aluminium products at home, allowing these items to be given many new lives.”

SMR will invest the new Nespresso-funding in leveraging new technology to improve its non-magnetic household metals recycling process. The process will also reduce the quantity of aluminium that gets dumped into landfills.

The new technology is expected to be deployed later this year. Once deployed, it will help in recycling Nespresso capsules across five boroughs in New York City.

Le Cunff added: “New Yorkers are familiar with recycling aluminium cans, and we want to encourage people to also recycle a wider array of aluminium products that they use on a regular basis.”

The collaboration is aligned with New York City’s Zero Waste initiative, which aims to eliminate waste to landfill by 2030.