Nespresso to host exhibition and produce bike from recycled aluminium coffee capsules

According to a recent report, Nespresso has launched a series of global and local sustainability initiatives to encourage and raise awareness for coffee capsule recycling. The company has even teamed up with Vélosophy to create a stylish city bike, named “RE:CYCLE”, from recycled aluminium coffee capsules. The intention is to establish the potential of Nespresso to recycle its aluminium capsules.

Nespresso sustainability pop-up exhibition, “The Capsule Journey”, from 2^nd to 11^th of August, will feature three zones showcasing aluminium coffee capsule recycling journey and the Nespresso sustainability process from bean to cup. The exhibition will also show how Nespresso boosts productivity and welfare for farmers by using recycled coffee grounds as compost.

Furthermore, the pop-up will feature a platform made with more than 120,000 crushed recycled aluminium capsules to demonstrate how recycled aluminium can be recreated as second life products.

To engage visitors, a number of educational and interactive workshops will be hosted as well at the pop-up, including coffee masterclasses, herb planting, and aluminium upcycling artwork workshops. 

Lai Ching Kok, country manager of Nespresso Hong Kong and Macau, said Nespresso capsule recycling system offers four options to customers and business partners to return their used capsules. They can drop off used capsules at any Nespresso Boutique, use Recycling@Home service, or choose collection from hotels and offices.

Nespresso has long been working on recycling in partnership with the Hong Kong Organic Waste Recycling Centre Ltd/ Food Cycle + (HKOWRC). Nespresso in Hong Kong take the collected capsules to a recycling plant where the aluminium is separated from the coffee residue. The aluminium is then sent to a scrap metal collector for re-melting into recycled aluminium, while the coffee grounds to the Nespresso Farm in Sheung Shui for being used as natural compost to grow fruits and vegetables.