Caffeine kick gets greener as Nespresso makes pods from sustainable aluminium

Breakfast drinks will cause slightly less environmental damage after Nespresso teamed up with Rio Tinto to make its coffee pods from ethical aluminium.

The two companies are working to ensure that 100 per cent of the metal in Nespresso’s popular pods are sustainably sourced by 2020.

By then every pod that goes into a morning coffee will be certified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI).

The certification helps to protect biodiversity, respect the rights of indigenous people, and ensure that water use and carbon emissions are kept under control.

The Nestle-owned coffee maker has previously said it will invest 500m SFr to to build its 2020 sustainability strategy.

The company has in the past faced criticism over the environmental impact of its pods, with other producers – many of whom produce Nespresso-compatible pods – opting for biodegradable materials.

Nespresso chief executive Jean-Marc Duvoisin said: “This is a positive step towards creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.”

However, one industry source told City A.M. that Nespresso should move away from aluminium pods towards greener alternatives.

“Nespresso should have opted for compostables instead of aluminium,” the source said. “It’s not rocket science, but to do so would mean repurposing factories made to handle aluminium,” at a cost of around €1-2bn, the source said.

A spokesperson for the company told City A.M. they did not recognise that figure: “We don’t believe that biodegradable or compostable materials are a good environmental solution.

“Our main concern is would consumers dispose of them after use? They are not accepted in council composting schemes, and the numbers of people who compost at home are very low.”