©Illy
Illycaffè has partnered with TerraCycle in a project that will facilitate the collection and recycling of its plastic and aluminium Iperespresso coffee capsules in Europe.
The scheme has initially launched in the UK, France, Spain, Austria, The Netherlands and Belgium, where consumers can either post used capsules to TerraCyle or have them collected from home.
According to the company, coffee capsules are notorious for their poor environmental credentials and are rarely collected by local councils as the plastic packaging is made up of multiple complex materials that are costly to separate and recycle.
Through the joint scheme, Illycaffè will ensure that used Iperespresso and Nespresso compatible capsules are recycled into a new usable material, such as outdoor furniture or construction applications. Meanwhile, the coffee ground will be sent to a composting plant.
The project helps support the company’s aim to eliminate approximately 175 tons of plastic per year through introducing recyclable to-go cups and ESE compostable paper pods, as well its target to become carbon neutral by 2033.
Massimiliano Pogliani, CEO of Illycaffè, said: “We want to offer our customers the opportunity of making a cup of espresso at home using environmentally friendly capsules.
“For this reason, together with TerraCycle, we developed a circular economy programme that allows us to collect and give new life to both plastic and aluminium capsules, without any additional costs or hassle for consumers; we will take care of the entire process together with our partner.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024