Coffee capsule recycling

We recycle every aluminum coffee capsule that is returned to us.

During the processing of used capsules, the aluminum and coffee grounds are separated and recycled separately.

Each recycled coffee capsule can be reborn in the form of everyday objects - such as a pen, Swiss army knife, or even a bicycle frame. The coffee grounds are also reused through composting.

In addition, the aluminum capsule perfectly protects the coffee from air, moisture, and light, ensuring that the high-quality roasted and ground coffee remains fresh until preparation.

When a product is made from recycled aluminum instead of newly produced aluminum, it significantly reduces energy consumption during the manufacturing process. In 2020, we introduced capsules made from 80% recycled aluminum, being the first in the world to do so. Our goal is to soon package all Nespresso coffees for home consumption (both Original and Vertuo coffees) in capsules made from recycled aluminum.

More than a watch, the new Hublot Big Bang Unica Nespresso Origin is the result of a collaboration between two iconic Swiss companies that share the same values: innovation, quality, and sustainability!

This very special creation has redefined once again the way of reusing the coffee grounds and the aluminum of your Nespresso capsules.

After separating the used Nespresso capsules, the extracted coffee grounds are reused through composting, and a portion is used for soil improvement in the lavender fields of Pannonhalma.

In collaboration with the Pannonhalma Archabbey, we developed a method to reuse the coffee grounds in the lavender fields. The project started after approximately two years of preparation and joint efforts.

Part of the coffee grounds obtained from processing the coffee capsules was used to produce a specially developed growing medium, which is utilized in the Pannonhalma Archabbey's lavender fields to improve soil quality. This initiative is entirely local: the capsules come from domestic consumers, and both the processing—separating the aluminum from the coffee grounds—and the production of the growing medium take place in Hungary. The coffee grounds-based growing medium was manually distributed in the lavender fields by Nespresso employees and the staff of the Pannonhalma Archabbey's Herb Garden. Visitors can admire the results of this collaboration during the lavender blooming season.

The RE:CYCLE bicycle, designed as an icon of the circular economy, was created in collaboration with the Swedish lifestyle bicycle brand Vélosophy, with environmentally conscious coffee lovers in mind. Jimmy Östholm, the founder and CEO of Vélosophy, stated, "We created Vélosophy with the clear purpose of making a positive impact on the world. This idea permeates our everyday activities. We are proud to have partnered with Nespresso to create a bicycle that takes us towards a more sustainable future."

These elegant bicycles exemplify the benefits of local and global recycling of coffee capsules. In partnership with the World Bicycle Relief organization, Vélosophy donates one gift bicycle to Ghanaian schoolgirls for every bicycle sold, helping children reach distant schools and promoting education.

We felt it was important to choose a domestic company as our partner, one that not only creates quality products but also focuses on recycling. Tipton Eyeworks, a renowned company that manufactures handcrafted eyewear from recycled materials, was founded in 2004. Their products are exclusively made in Hungary. These eyeglasses are beloved by celebrities such as Elton John, Tarantino, Alföldi Róbert, and Till Attila.

The designers at Hungarian Tipton Eyeworks created a unique eyewear collection commissioned by Nespresso, using recycled aluminum. The eyeglasses were inspired by Nespresso's Kazaar, Dharkan, Roma, and Livanto capsules. A limited quantity of these exclusive and uniquely designed eyeglass frames was produced, and they are not available for commercial sale.

Victorinox and Nespresso are pioneers in recycling. Sustainability is an integral part of the corporate culture for both of our Swiss companies, as we have long been committed to making responsible decisions. As a result of our collaboration, the Pioneer Nespresso knife collection was created.

The handles of these knives are made from recycled aluminum coffee capsules, with the weight of the handle precisely matching the weight of 24 used coffee capsules. Through our collaboration, in 2016, knives with an Arpeggio-purple cover were produced, followed by Livanto-golden brown covers in 2017, and Dharkan-dark blue covers in 2018.

The company was founded by Arnold Schweitzer in 1924 and has been the sole representative of exclusive Swiss stationery manufacturers ever since. We chose the iconic and legendary Caran d'Ache 849 ballpoint pen, which has been in production since 1969, as the basis for our collaboration. During this collaboration, we created a portion of the pen's body using recycled Nespresso coffee capsules.

In 2018, we introduced ballpoint pens with a body color inspired by our Dharkan dark blue coffee capsule, and in 2019, we created pens with a body color inspired by our Master Origin India green coffee capsule. In 2020, the third limited edition of the ballpoint pen was released, featuring the body color of our Ispirazione Firenze Arpeggio coffee capsule.