Nespresso France has won ‘Best Environmental Initiative’ in ‘Trophées Défis RSE’ 2015 for supporting innovation in recycling technology and developing partnerships to improve the recycling of aluminium coffee capsules and other small-sized metal packages.
Although aluminium is 100% recyclable, only 32% of household aluminium packaging is recycled in France. Because packaging sorting centres do not have suitable equipment, it is most often unable to process small packaging less than 7 centimetres.
To help increase recycling capabilities in France for small-scale aluminium and steel packaging – like Nespresso capsules, bottle caps and aluminium foil – Nespresso co-founded CELAA, the Club for Aluminium and Steel Light Packaging (Club du Recyclage des Emballages Légers en Aluminium et Acier), in 2009.
Nespresso France also launched ‘Project Metal’ last year, which offers up to EUR 300 per tonne of aluminium packaging to incentivise sorting centres to invest in tools that can sort small aluminium packaging. The initiative has helped more than three million people in 500 communes across France to dispose of aluminium packaging using recycling bins.
The project builds on Nespresso France’s agreement with Eco-Emballages (the French ‘Green Dot’) and the Association of French mayors to include the collection of used Nespresso capsules in their collection system.
These initiatives are part of Nespresso’s new sustainability strategy, The Positive Cup, where it is expanding its capacity to recycle used aluminium capsules. Nespresso has installed more than 14,000 capsule collection points across 31 countries, and a home collection service is available in 15 markets.
