Nespresso UK has unveiled a new partnership with Royal Mail aimed at revolutionising the way coffee capsules are recycled across the UK. The collaboration offers Nespresso customers two convenient options for recycling their used coffee capsules.
Customers can now schedule a free doorstep collection of their used capsules via Royal Mail’s returns service. Alternatively, they can drop off their capsules at any of the 14,000+ Royal Mail drop-off locations, including Customer Service Points and Post Offices.
Research commissioned by Nespresso for Recycle Week reveals that while 91% of Brits claim to recycle frequently, 42% find the process confusing and 32% find it difficult. This partnership aims to address these challenges by making recycling more straightforward and accessible.
The collaboration also has environmental benefits. Over half of Royal Mail’s delivery routes are either wholly or partly on foot, resulting in lower emissions compared to other carriers.
Anna Lundstrom, CEO, Nespresso UK & ROI, said: “Nespresso’s official partnership with Royal Mail brings recycling to the heart of the community, no matter where you live in the UK. Royal Mail is not only an iconic British institution, it also is recognised as having the lowest emissions per parcel as their ‘feet on the street’ posties walk up to a billion steps a day. Recycling needs to be convenient, simple, and sustainable – and our partnership with Royal Mail is central to achieving that vision.”
Nick Landon, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Mail, said: “We’re really pleased to be working with Nespresso to support their coffee capsule recycling. Everyone knows when their postie delivers so it’s really convenient to arrange for them to collect at the same time. If customers aren’t going to be in, Royal Mail can also collect from a safe place. To make it even more convenient, if customers don’t have a printer our posties can print and bring the label to the doorstep.”
Nespresso, a pioneer in coffee capsule recycling, also co-founded the not-for-profit coffee pod recycling service Podback. Customers can continue to use this service and drop off their used capsules at any Nespresso Boutique.
Nespresso’s capsules are made of 80% recycled aluminium, which is infinitely recyclable. The recycled aluminium is transformed into new products like beverage cans and car components. Used coffee grounds are repurposed as soil improvers for cereal farms in East Yorkshire and as renewable energy to power UK homes.
