Novelis Inc., a leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, has partnered with Nespresso, the pioneer of premium portioned coffee, to launch the first coffee capsule made of 80 percent recycled aluminum. The highly recycled, sustainable alloy is featured in Nespresso’s new coffee capsules.
Novelis’ alloy has industry leading deep drawing properties to meet the coffee capsule market’s need for demanding product specifications. The alloy also supports Nespresso’s continued circularity journey by minimizing waste and maximizing the reuse of product materials.
“This achievement is an important step in helping Nespresso reach its sustainability goals,” said Stephen Boney, vice president, specialties, Novelis Europe. “We have a longstanding partnership with Nespresso that is focused on implementing more sustainable manufacturing processes throughout the supply chain. As such, we have increased the amount of recycled aluminum content in coffee capsules and developing additional end-of-life recycling solutions for greater circularity.”
Comprised of a thinner aluminum foil, the new capsules contain 9.2 percent less aluminum material and are 8 percent lighter. The foil protects freshness and aromas of high-quality coffee and provides a strong barrier against oxygen, light and humidity. More importantly, the foil is infinitely recyclable and requires less energy to produce than virgin aluminum.
Jérôme Pérez, Nespresso head of sustainability, stated, “We are constantly challenging ourselves to improve the sustainability and circularity of our operations, including the way we source, use, and recycle material. Reaching 80 percent recycled aluminum in our capsules is a significant milestone, and something we have worked hard to achieve with Novelis and other partners along the value chain.”
In recent years, Novelis has developed many new alloys that are easily recyclable and invested in technologically-advanced recycling facilities that have increased recycled product content from 33 percent to 60 percent across its global operations. To that end, the company is committed to maximizing aluminum’s many positive benefits to create a fully circular economy that has more efficient, sustainable business models.
