Sustainability on the go with aluminium coffee pods

Aluminium is not just an abundantly found metal; it is also a very versatile metal which can adapt according to usage. For years, aluminium has shielded everyday culinary items from the air, moisture, and light exposure, including butter, chocolate, and coffee. Foods stay fresher for longer due to the unique capacity of aluminium to guard against dangerous elements, reducing wasteful waste.

For that matter, the use of aluminium for coffee pods is growing prodigiously, in line with the rapid rise in coffee pods consumption. The global coffee pods market projected to witness a compound annual growth rate of 5.75 per cent to more than US$26 billion by 2027 from US$18 billion in 2020.

Aluminium is employed in the production of coffee pods since Nespresso used it first. There are primarily two types of pods: aluminium and plastic. Compared to the latter, the use of aluminium in the making of pods increases the chances of moving towards a more sustainable path.

Coffee capsules also have high rates of recycling. Aluminium pods may also contain additional materials (such as plastic linings), but these may be removed while recycling to extricate aluminium. Over a few years, several programs have been introduced for recycling coffee pods.

For instance, Nespresso introduced a Recycling Rewards campaign to promote users to the idea of sustainability. Users who return 100 used capsules from any brand will receive special gifts in return. Other programs, like Podback in the UK, encourage curbside coffee capsule collection while also establishing drop-off locations for customers.

“Starbucks at Home” by Nespresso coffee capsules are constructed of 80% recycled aluminium, according to Nestlé, which is very concerned about environmental problems. By 2025, the firm hopes to convert all of its packaging materials into products that are 100% recyclable or reusable, which may be a highly strategic step in the direction of sustainability.

The history of the coffee pod market is rooted in 1986, when Nespresso, a coffee pod manufacturer, introduced the same to the customers. In 1975, Nestlé engineer Eric Favre visited a well-liked Italian espresso bar and came up with the concept. Over the course of the following ten years, Favre developed the concept for a straightforward brewer that mirrored the operation of an espresso machine. In order to make coffee with a noticeable coating of crema, the machine injected pressurized air into ground coffee and water.