Responsible celebrations. For our coffee machines, there is something better than plastic and aluminum capsules

With coffee consumption still increasing around the world, some manufacturers are finally offering more ecological solutions, to respond to the problem of the mass of waste that small capsules constitute.

For coffee lovers who have found a coffee machine under the tree, the question may arise as to how to throw it away with a good conscienceused capsules plastic or aluminum which most often accompanies the pods. Precisely, the whole issue is the material of these capsules.

For Charlotte, a point of honor was made to use her brand new coffee machine, in order to respect waste recycling as much as possible. With some capsules made of paper, she collects the used pod to place it in her small compost bin, which she will then empty every week. “There is no inconvenience, even in a small kitchen”she assures. For her, it’s the end of aluminum or plastic, and even coffee grounds that end up in the trash.

Manufacturers are banking on paper or algae

Tall brands are investing in improving pods, because sorting biowaste is an obligation for everyone since the 1st January 2024. The brand VSafé Royal invented, for example, algae packaging. At the house of Nestle, it’s made of paper for its new generation Nespresso and Dolce Gusto coffee makers. Adeline Guillot, director of sustainable development for Nestlé coffees tells : “For five years, we tested more than 200 materials in our research and development center in Switzerland to develop this home compostable pod. We had to find the right paper pulp, and we did it as fine as possible while protecting our black gold that is coffee.”

It was precisely after drinking coffee that Thibaut Louvet and his friend Jean had a shock. Lhe two engineering students dissected an aluminum capsule, Thibaut still remembers it: “We have a first cover which is made of plastic, we open it, then there is another plastic film which is inside, we finally see a small pile of coffee. Below, we have an aluminum cover, another grid and the entire body of the capsule, so we throw away about as much packaging as coffee. We say to ourselves ‘what’s going on!’

The reusable capsule solution

In full confinement and deprived of lessons, the two budding engineers have developed a reusable capsule and easy to recharge, thanks to a sort of shaker: “We put the capsule in, close it, shake it like a cocktail and when we open it, the capsule is well filled. shows Thibaut. All that remains to do is to stick a paper cover, and the capsule can be used like a classic capsule.” Lhe demand for coffee around the world could increase by 50% by 2050.