Nespresso has committed to making every cup of its coffee carbon neutral by 2022 for both at-home and professional customers.
This new goal builds on more than 10 years of work during which Nespresso has reduced its carbon emissions and compensated the remainder through agroforestry. The company achieved carbon neutrality in its business operations in 2017 so its new commitment is focused on emissions in its supply chain and product life cycle.
“Climate change is a reality and our future depend on going further and faster on our sustainability commitments. That is why we are accelerating our commitments to offer our consumers a way to drink a carbon neutral cup of coffee by 2022. A coffee, made from the finest and rarest beans, sustainably sourced,” Nespresso CEO Guillaume Le Cunff said.
“Our business and the coffee industry can be a force for good in the world and I hope that our commitment will encourage others to follow.”
Nespresso aims to achieve carbon neutrality by using sustainable energy within its operations as it drives towards 100% renewable energy in all boutiques and increasing the use of biogas within the manufacturing process. Nespresso will also increase the use of recycled plastic within Nespressomachines, as well as recycled and low carbon virgin aluminium within coffee capsules.
The company will also use trees to sequester carbon from the atmosphere, while investing in nature and building a regenerative agricultural system. Planting trees provides the shade needed to improve the quality and quantity of a coffee harvest, while the roots help protect against soil erosion and landslides and promote soil regeneration.
With its partner Pur Projet, Nespresso will triple its insetting in coffee producing countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica, and invest in projects to support forest conservation and restoration, as well as implement clean energy solutions within farming communities.
New capsules using 80% recycled aluminium launch in Australia
Nespresso Oceania managing director, Jean-Marc Dragoli said, in additional news for Australia, Nespresso has brought the first ever coffee capsules made using 80% recycled aluminium to the market.
“Increasing the circularity of our packaging – making sure what comes to an end always becomes a new beginning – is a crucial part of meeting today’s carbon neutral commitment. Recycled aluminium uses 95% less energy than aluminium made from raw materials,” he said.
“It means Nespresso customers are the only coffee drinkers in Australia who can recycle their aluminium capsules through Nespresso’s own dedicated recycling program; enjoy coffee from capsules made from recycled aluminium; and know their coffee has been sustainably sourced from our 110,000+ farmers who are certified AAA as part of our partnership with Rainforest Alliance.”
The first ever coffee capsules made from 80% recycled aluminium are the Original Line Master Origin Colombia coffee. By the end of 2021, Nespresso aims to have the full Original Line and Vertuo ranges of coffee capsules made using recycled aluminium.