Exploring The Sustainability of Coffee Capsules

Convenient and affordable coffee capsules have been widely used, changing the way everyone consumes coffee.

Traditional coffee capsules are made using pre-made plastic cups and aluminum lids. Each capsule is filled with a single serving of pre-ground coffee and put into various coffee capsule machines on the market for extraction.

However, the mass appeal and convenience of coffee capsules also come with many drawbacks. Research has found that tens of thousands of discarded coffee capsules currently end up in landfill every month.

A mixture of aluminum and plastic is difficult to recycle and takes up to 500 years to decompose.

How are coffee capsules made?

A large number of coffee capsule pre-made cups are first produced in the factory, and then the coffee powder is filled and sealed in the pre-formed capsules. Each capsule usually contains 5 to 7 grams of coffee powder. Once filled, the capsules are sealed with most commonly aluminum lids.

The seal is air-tight and the capsule is filled with nitrogen before the aluminum cap is fused to the capsule cup. This effectively prevents oxygen from entering the capsule, ensuring the coffee stays fresher longer.

The user puts the capsule into the capsule coffee machine and presses the brewing button to quickly get a cup of fresh and rich coffee. The machine punches holes in the aluminum cover so that hot water can be poured into the capsule so that the coffee can be fully extracted. As hot water passes through the capsule, the bottom breaks open and the coffee drips through the machine's funnel into the cup.

The most commonly used coffee capsules are disposable. Because of the way they break, capsules cannot be reused after brewing once.

Aluminum and polybutylene terephthalate plastic (PBT) are the two main materials used to make coffee capsules.

Made from pure aluminum and containing no plastic, the capsules are fully recyclable. However, most coffee capsules contain different plastics or other materials that cannot be recycled.

The industry is currently looking to test alternative packaging materials to make disposable capsule waste fully degradable or compostable.

How coffee capsules can become more sustainable?

To be sustainable, coffee capsules can use a wider range of reusable and recyclable materials. These include refillable steel capsules, recyclable aluminum capsules and capsules made from compostable and biodegradable materials.

Due to its affordability, plastic remains the most popular material for coffee capsules. Aluminum capsules are relatively expensive, and some consumers are willing to buy them because of their "premium" feel.

In addition, biodegradable and compostable materials are relatively new and are mainly used by independent manufacturers. These companies tend to operate at higher prices than coffee giants such as Nestlé, Lavazza and Tassimo.

Many brands are reducing plastic and using aluminum as capsule material due to its recyclability. All things considered recyclable aluminum is currently the most sustainable material option.

How to dispose of coffee capsules?

As consumers become more eco-conscious, the future of coffee capsule sustainability looks promising.

Before other feasible sustainable coffee capsule packaging emerges, producers and users must fully consider sustainable factors when producing and using coffee capsules.

Producers should reduce or even eliminate the use of plastic, increase the proportion of aluminum material in each capsule, and strive to achieve 100% recyclable materials.

After using the capsule, consumers should open the lid, pour the used coffee grounds into the compost bin, and then put the capsule and lid into the recycling bin to ensure 100% capsule recycling. Biodegradable coffee capsules can be added directly to natural waste or compost bins along with used coffee grounds.

If you want coffee capsules to become more sustainable, producers and consumers must fully move closer to sustainability within their own scope and take practical actions. Both are indispensable.