Do you want to drink that delicious Nespresso, but buy a more sustainable version of their capsules? Fair trade? Organic? Maybe bio-degradable or composting? Or completely zero waste reusable capsules, filled with your own freshly ground coffee? There are various solutions!
What’s the problem with single-use coffee capsules?
Do you ever wonder, what happens to those Nespresso capsules when you return them to the store, in the hope they get recycled? Well, unfortunately Nespresso only recycles 30% of its capsules, globally, but some suggest it’s only 5%. Not to mention the additional energy resources needed for recycling aluminium – that is way more than creating new aluminium.
Besides, Nespresso coffee – if not the machine – is Nestlé product. And we all know Nestlé’s nasty child labour and exploitative news. Sustainability is not only about the capsules’ waste, but about sustainable sources, fair trade and fair labour conditions as well. So, what can you do, to stop supporting such a wasteful, unfairly grown and harvested coffee, while not throwing your Nespresso machine out?
Plant-based capsule-alternatives
Luckily, coffee companies also spotted this problem with Nespresso and other capsule-based coffee machines, so they created alternatives! For example, Jones Brothers Coffee offers its fair trade, organic/bio coffee in plant-based capsules. These are compostable and so they are a great alternative to aluminium! The plant-based organic capsules come in paper box, so this is a completely plastic-free option. This is already a great step towards more sustainable capsule-coffee drinking. A big plus is that theis capsules are cheaper (currently €0.38) than most of Nespresso’s (€0.39-0.49).
Zero waste alternative: reusable capsules
But if you want to go for full zero waste, filling your own, reusable coffee cups again and again, is the best option. Do NOT throw your machine (that is only more waste!) but look for sustainable capsule-options. Using what you already have, is a key in a zero-waste lifestyle. Instead, finding ways to use your coffee machine more consciously is what will make a difference.
Refillable capsule-alternatives can be reused as many times as you want. Coffee (beans) you can purchase in bulk, to fill up those zero waste capsules for yourself, with your favourite coffee (maybe locally sourced? Fair trade? Or organic? Or all of these?). Cleaning the pods, you can put the used coffee in the compost (to make even further use of it!), or if you don’t have access to a composting site nearby, it will harm no one in the general waste either.
Conclusion: there is a solution!
Don’t forget, becoming more sustainable is a process. Having something, like a Nespresso machine, that is currently generating a lot of waste around you doesn’t mean you need to get a new coffee machine. You’re not alone, so there are many alternatives available to keep using your capsule-based coffee machine – only with different, fairer, healthier (organic), more sustainable capsules.
