Coffee capsules? You can do something with them!
Coffee capsules
Of course, you do everything you can to separate waste at your office, school, or showroom. You have waste sorting bins with separate compartments for plastic/PMD, paper, organic waste, and general waste. You even take empty bottles to the glass container. But did you know you can also collect (Nespresso or Dolce Gusto) coffee capsules separately? This way, you reduce the amount of general waste and give the capsules a second life.
Plastic or metal waste?
So, what exactly are coffee capsules made of, and where do they belong in your waste stream? This can be tricky because coffee capsules are made from mixed materials: metal and plastic. There are also capsules made from aluminum. Officially, they don’t belong in PMD (plastic, metal, and drink cartons) or metal waste. That leaves general waste, but that’s a real waste. In that case, they end up in the incinerator, while coffee capsules can actually be recycled.
So, what do you do with your coffee capsules?
For aluminum capsules, Nespresso has its own recycling service. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable. The capsules you buy are already made from 80% recycled aluminum. And when you return them, they get a new life again and again. To recycle the capsules, you can get free recycling bags at the Nespresso store or online. Place the bag in one of the compartments of your waste sorting bin (like the BINBIN Globular, for example). Once the bag is full, drop it off at a Nespresso store or hand it over to postal courier. Dolce Gusto also has its own recycling service. When ordering online, you can request a recycling bag. Just place it in your waste sorting bin, and once it’s full, drop it off at a UPS location.
Refilling coffee capsules
Want to go even more sustainable? Refill your capsules! It takes a bit of effort, but it’s much more eco-friendly and cheaper. You can see how to refill your coffee capsules in this video.
Looking for the right waste sorting bin?
The modular and circular bins from BINBIN are very easy to adapt. Is there a new waste stream (like coffee capsules)? You can easily split an existing compartment. So, you don’t need to buy a whole new bin.
Coffee corner at the office
The backbone of a cozy office is, of course, the coffee corner, where spontaneous conversations with colleagues arise. An inevitable byproduct of these areas is waste, such as coffee capsules. That’s why it’s important to equip these coffee corners with the right waste bins and clear information, so waste can be easily recycled. In our blog “Waste Separation at the Office,” you can read more about the optimal placement of waste bins within your company!