Nespresso contributes to Creating Shared Value locally
As part of a joint project between Nestlé and Groupe E Greenwatt to build a biogas plant in Vaud, Switzerland, to provide renewable energy for the HENNIEZ bottling plant and the Swiss power grid, Nespresso will contribute about 3’000t of coffee grounds from its 3 production centres and from its Swiss recycling system. Used coffee grounds has a high energy potential.
Read more about this project on the Nestlé website.
The participation of Nespresso in this biogas project illustrates our holistic sustainability approach consisting in revalorizing aluminium and coffee grounds to reduce our environmental impact, while creating shared value and positive impact in local communities. The revalorization of the coffee grounds in energy thanks to a biogas installation is generating a very favorable environmental performance.
Revalorizing aluminium
Recognising its obligations to respect the environment and safeguard the earth’s resources, Nespresso has made capsule recycling a central sustainability priority. Around the world Nespresso has developed customised collection solutions to make it as easy as possible for consumers to recycle their used Nespresso capsules.
Nespresso has established its own capsule collection systems in 31 countries worldwide to date, including over 14,000 dedicated collection points, in order to revalorise both aluminium and coffee grounds. This adds to 3 countries equipped with a national waste recovery system that accept used aluminium capsules for recycling. Once separated from the coffee grounds, aluminium is melted for reuse as new aluminium objects, such as automobile parts, cookware or cans.
At the end of 2014, Nespresso had reached a capsule collection capacity of over 80% across 34 countries.
The multiple second lives of used Nespresso coffee grounds
Used coffee grounds from Nespresso capsules also present revalorisation opportunities and Nespresso takes part in various initiatives to do so. Certain countries, such as UK, Australia and the UAE, are leading the way with integrated revalorisation solutions where coffee grounds are used as high quality natural compost and heating briquettes. In other recycling schemes in Europe, pyrolysis is used to transform the residual coffee into energy that helps to power the recycling process itself. In France, one Nespresso recycling partner is exploring the use of coffee grounds as a natural filter to purify waste-water.
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Did you know that Nespresso reduced the carbon footprint of a cup of coffee by 20% since 2009?
