Nespresso unveils home-compostable coffee capsules in partnership with Huhtamaki

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2022. 11. 28. 09:55

Nestlé’s Nespresso brand will pilot home-compostable coffee capsules on the Nespresso Original system in France and Switzerland from spring 2023 before further launches in several other European countries within a year. The paper-based capsules are touted as a breakthrough in packaging technology after three years of R&D.

Meanwhile, Nespresso’s “coffee masters” have created four new blends, including an organic coffee sourced through the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program, specifically crafted to act in “perfect harmony” with the new capsules. The capsules do not compromise the brand’s premium coffee experience or taste.

Nespresso points to a French Environment and Energy Management Agency Consumer survey from 2020, which found that demand for compostable packaging is increasing, with an estimated 45% of French people now home composting one or more types of biowaste.

The new coffee capsules – developed in partnership with packaging leader Huhtamaki – are also recyclable and made using 80% recycled aluminum.

Several aspects of the capsule feature proprietary technology, including the biopolymer lining inside the capsule, which protects the coffee against oxidation.

The new paper-based capsules were developed as an alternative for consumers who prefer and have access to a compost, adding to the environmentally conscious choices already offered through Nespresso’s aluminum capsules.

The product is certified for both home and industrial composting by TÜV Austria, an international certification body. In some countries, including France, where Nespresso is piloting this range, these capsules are accepted in the public biowaste bin.

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