Recovering used coffee capsules to strengthen the circular economy

Nespresso, the pioneer of coffee in individual capsules, has for many years been engaged in a process of responsible management concerning the resources required for its activity.

 

With its experience of recycling used coffee capsules in France, Nespresso has called on SUEZ, the waste recovery expert, to improve the end-of-life of its coffee capsules in the Moroccan market.

Giving a new lease of life to coffee capsules

Concerned about reducing the environmental impact of its activities, Nespresso has launched measures to recycle the coffee capsules used by its customers in Morocco.

 

All collected capsules are taken to a SUEZ processing centre, where the aluminium and the coffee grounds are separated to give them a new lease of life.

Simplifying collection to encourage recycling

In Morocco’s main cities, Nespresso coffee consumers (e.g. hotels, cafes and restaurants, Nespresso club members) are offered recyclable plastic bags free of charge by Nespresso, in which they can deposit the consumed capsules.

Recovering waste to obtain high-quality secondary raw materials

The bag of collected used coffee capsules is transported to the SUEZ recycling and recovery platform located in Bouskoura. The coffee grounds and the aluminium that comprise the capsules are separated for recovery:

  • The organic matter of the coffee grounds is given to the association Earth & Humanism (from the French: "Terre et Humanisme"), which campaigns for the transmission of agro-ecology and the recovery of local resources. The coffee grounds are transformed into compost and fertilizers which are then used to improve soil quality.
  • The aluminium is reinserted into the economy via recovery streams.