An estimated 20 billion capsules? Yes!

An estimated 20 billion capsules are used worldwide each year, of which about 14 billion are sold by Nespresso.

For example, according to an article in The Guardian last year, more than 95 million cups of coffee are drinked every day in the UK, and single-use coffee capsules pose a serious environmental challenge. In the case of capsules, it may take up to 500 years for them to completely decompose. 

Capsules are often made of a mixture of plastic, foil and aluminium, making them difficult to recycle. As plastic pollution is a huge problem everywhere in the world, several capsule coffee companies have already stepped in. Nestlé launched its capsule collection and recycling system in Hungary in March, nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules are currently available to customers in five designated MediaMarkt stores, and the company is also working to use less plastic to manufacture them.

Nespresso has been collecting used aluminium capsules in Hungary since 2012, they can be delivered in stores, and since 2017 the courier service has been collecting empty capsules when fulfilling new orders.