Dispose of coffee capsules – How to do it right and protect the environment
They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and materials - coffee capsules. If you choose the right ones, they brew the perfect coffee at the touch of a button. At the same time, however, they also generate several tons of packaging waste every year. With this in mind, in this blog post we will look at how coffee capsules are best disposed of and what the topic of recycling is all about when disposing of coffee capsules.
Most articles on the disposal of coffee capsules mainly discuss how recycling can improve the ecological balance of coffee capsules made of aluminum or plastic. Coffee capsules are also to be recycled as part of the dual system. This is intended to return the valuable raw materials to the cycle so that they can then be used for new products. With around 59 billion capsules used worldwide every year, this debate is both justified and urgently needed.
The connection between recycling and sustainability
In our daily customer contact and in our private lives, we in the rezemo team are increasingly noticing that the term "recyclable" is often associated with the topic of sustainability. It is often even equated with the term "sustainable". On the one hand, this shows how strongly our society focuses on the dual system. On the other hand, reports are piling up these days about vanishingly low recycling rates for plastics. This is due, among other things, to the high cost of separating plastics into pure types. In addition, the current low oil price is driving demand for recycled plastics down. This means that many manufacturers are opting for new rather than recycled packaging materials. The reason for this is that, in addition to often being of higher quality, these are simply cheaper.
To understand how to dispose of coffee capsules in the most environmentally friendly way, we first need to take a look at our disposal system.
The classification of coffee capsules in the German disposal system
The German waste disposal system is based on waste separation. This means that there are various disposal methods. These can be divided into energy recovery (residual waste), organic recovery (compost) and recovery in the dual system (recycling). Everything that is neither compostable nor recyclable is sent to the residual waste. The residual materials collected here are thermally recovered, i.e. burned. The heat energy generated during combustion is usually used to generate electricity. All waste of plant or animal origin is sent to the organic recovery system. All other types of recyclable materials that can be reused through recycling are sent to the dual system. This also applies to most of the packaging that we use in our everyday lives.
The correct disposal of coffee capsules depends on their material
Most coffee capsules are made of either aluminum, fossil plastic, bio-based plastic or a mixture of these materials. Both plastic and aluminum packaging are usually disposed of via the dual system. They are placed in the recycling bin (also called the yellow bin or yellow bag). This means that the materials should not be burned, but recycled and processed further.
Adding coffee capsules to the dual system sounds logical and sensible. However, there is a serious problem: in order to dispose of packaging, including coffee capsules, via the dual system, they must be completely empty. In addition, their composition must be as pure as possible . Now you can imagine that this emptying by the consumer only takes place with a very small number of coffee capsules. In addition, pure material is the exception, especially with plastic capsules. Composite materials are often used here. This means that the actual recycling rates for coffee capsules made of plastic and aluminum are correspondingly low.
As an alternative, many manufacturers offer coffee capsules made from bio-based plastics that are mixed with regular plastic. These coffee capsules made from so-called "biodegradable" plastics cannot, as is often assumed, be disposed of in the organic waste bin. Industrial composting plants recognize the capsules as foreign bodies due to their color and material properties and sort them out. As a result, these types of coffee capsules are usually incinerated with the residual waste - the energy-intensive fossil raw materials are thus lost.
Why recycling cannot be the solution
For us at rezemo, the problem with the concept of recycling goes far beyond coffee capsules. In our view, recycling only treats a symptom, not the actual cause of the problem. Recycling systems were introduced because the production and subsequent disposal of aluminum and petroleum-based plastics are associated with high costs for our planet.
Both aluminum and plastic capsules are mainly made from fossil raw materials. Aluminum is extracted from the aluminum ore bauxite, which is mined in the tropical belt, e.g. in the rainforests of Brazil. Fossil plastics, on the other hand, are made from petroleum. The biggest disadvantage of these raw materials is that they are finite and the natural supply is decreasing from year to year. On the other hand, the extraction of these raw materials usually requires enormous energy. In addition, there are the negative consequences for the ecosystems and the environment in the mining regions. For more information, take a look at our blog post on the topic of SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL INNOVATION .
This means that recycling only ensures that these environmentally harmful raw materials do not become useless after a single use. The real cause of the problem, however, lies in the raw materials themselves. Disposable packaging should simply not be made of such materials. In addition, the sustainability debate surrounding recycling, especially when it comes to fossil plastics, ignores other known disadvantages. From decomposition into microplastics, which ultimately end up everywhere, including in our stomachs, to carcinogenic components and the hormonal effects of some petroleum-based plastics. Not to mention the long-term debate about the potential health risks of aluminum.
The solution: coffee capsules made from renewable raw materials that are 100% bio-based
So instead of just treating the symptoms, we at rezemo have decided to tackle the root of the problem and combat its cause. For us, this lies in the raw materials. That is why we have developed the rezemo wooden coffee capsules for Nespresso®* machines. They are 100% bio-based and therefore made from renewable raw materials. These raw materials are also processed into our capsules using far less energy.
How are the sustainable rezemo coffee capsules properly disposed of?
Since we approach the problem of disposable packaging from the raw materials side, the subsequent disposal of our rezemo coffee capsules is of secondary importance. Instead of the man-made approach of recycling, we rely on the natural cycle of our earth with our products. All the materials we use come from the cycle of nature and can therefore be returned to it after use.
Can the rezemo coffee capsules be disposed of in the compost or in the organic waste bin?
Our sustainable coffee capsules for Nespresso®* machines are made mostly from wood in the form of the waste product wood shavings. These are mixed with a binding agent made from plant starch. You can find more information about the composition and production of our coffee capsules under THE CAPSULE.
Since coffee capsules are generally considered packaging, they should be disposed of via the dual system according to legislation. However, if they are made entirely from renewable raw materials, like ours, they are actually waste of plant origin. Because the main component is wood fibers, the capsules decompose much faster than regular bio-based or compostable packaging. However, waste disposal companies in Germany have decided to exclude bio-based packaging from organic recycling. This applies regardless of the various certifications that already exist for the industrial composting of bio-based products. Accordingly, our rezemo coffee capsule cannot be disposed of in the organic waste bin in Germany.
You can dispose of our sustainable coffee capsules in the residual waste
You can dispose of your used rezemo coffee capsules in the residual waste. This is where they will end up even if your waste disposal company sorts them out of organic recycling (organic waste bin). They will not be composted here. However, due to their composition of 100% renewable raw materials, they will be burned with an optimized CO2 footprint. Since renewable raw materials bind CO2 during their growth, the net CO2 content of our atmosphere does not increase even when burned. For more information, take a look at our blog post on the topic of RENEWABLE RAW MATERIALS .
Conclusion
Coffee capsules made of aluminum and plastics can only be recycled to a limited extent. Realistically speaking, it can be assumed that only a marginal proportion of the coffee capsules disposed of in the recycling bin are actually recycled. Most coffee capsules made of bioplastics also often contain a small proportion of fossil plastics and are sorted out in composting plants. It is always worth taking a closer look at the ingredients and checking the exact proportion of bio-based raw materials. If this does not correspond to 100%, as is the case with our capsule, it is definitely worth investigating what the rest of the capsules are made of.
In contrast, completely bio-based coffee capsules, such as our wooden coffee capsules , do not release any permanent microplastics into the environment. Their raw materials do not have to be mined under environmentally critical conditions and they do not incur any additional costs through their recycling in the dual system. They come from the natural cycle of our earth - because what is important is what is inside!
Are you curious and would you like to try our sustainable coffee capsules in your Nespresso®* machine?
In our online shop you will find the entire range of rezemo editions, including our sets with free shipping – perfect for rezemo beginners. Take a look!
To the article*Trademark of a third party company that is not associated with rezemo GmbH
