Guilt free deliciousness with coffee pod recycling

At CoffeeClick, we have seen the number of people gaining an appreciation for great coffee steadily growing. However, people are now more aware than ever of environmental issues, especially surrounding recycling. Some single-use coffee pods have been getting some bad publicity, mainly because the aluminium pods are estimated to take between 150 and 500-years to break down.

Thankfully, some coffee companies have responded to the environmental worry by making recyclable coffee pods. According to Which?, ‘Nespresso and Lavazza offer the most scope for disposing of used pods sustainably’. Nespresso estimate only 21 percent of their aluminium pods are currently recycled, which means the majority end up in landfill.

Why we should be concerned about some coffee pods

Most coffee pods are manufactured using aluminium or plastic, or a combination of the two. Because of the time it takes for these to break down in landfill, the increasing popularity is becoming a bigger problem for landfills. Earlier pods that were technically recyclable weren’t easy to use. Some would need to be dismantled and cleaned before being recycled, which isn’t very practical or convenient. It also makes them a nightmare for recycling centres.

The answer is compostable pods

A few of the coffee brands have tried different approaches to the problem. Some have set up recycling schemes, but these often prove inconvenient and sometimes costly, because they could limit where you could purchase your pods. This negates one of the biggest advantages of using coffee pods, which is a convenience.

Compostable pods offer consumers the best solution, largely because they mean a consumer doesn’t have to do anything differently. Compostable pods can either go on your home compost heap or be thrown away with the rest of your food waste. They will usually break down in a matter of months. They are made from biodegradable materials such as sugarcane and corn starch. This makes them easy for microbes to break them down in the right conditions.

Some companies that produce biodegradable or recyclable coffee pods do charge a premium. However, the Lavazza Eco Caps range of capsules are exactly the same price as they were, which is good news for lovers of great coffee. Lavazza is also producing a range of compostable capsules that are compatible with Nespresso Domestic Capsule Machines.

There are alternatives to capsules

Most users of pod machines love the convenience, ease of use, and great coffee they produce. However, many coffee lovers also enjoy the ceremony of producing a cup of their favourite beverage in a more traditional way. While preparing coffee using beans, ground coffee, as well as various pieces of brewing equipment, will never be as convenient as using a capsule, practice can make it a quicker process than most imagine.

Check out the CoffeeClick website to see the full range of brewing equipment, necessities, beans, ground coffee, and everything else you could think of related to coffee.

What’s on offer?

Lavazza’s strong commitment to sustainability led to the creation of this new range of compostable capsules. Although the range has now reduced to only 7 blends, we have worked to ensure that a range of tastes are covered. For those worried, this change will alter the taste of your favourite beverage, let us reassure you the same great coffee is still inside every capsule. The current range that is available from Lavazza includes:

Dek Cremoso (Intensity 7/13) – Decaffeinated 100% Brazilian Arabica beans give us a full-bodied and tasty espresso. Lavazza decaffeination method leaves the unique characteristics of each origin unchanged. Decaffeinated with character.

Delizioso (Intensity 8/13) – From Brazilian, Asian and Central-South American Arabica beans, this espresso has soft and sweet bouquet flavour, notes of liqueur and a light aroma of toasted cereals.

Passionale (Intensity 11/13) – From Brazilian, Asian and Central-South American Arabica beans, an espresso with an intense and smooth flavour, which loves to show you its caramel and chocolate notes.

Intenso (Intensity 13/13) – From central and South American Arabica and Asian and African Robusta Coffees and all the fragrance of the Orient comes an espresso with a full-bodied flavour, with spicy notes a lingering aftertaste.

Dolce (Intensity 6/13) – Sweet Asian and Central-South American Arabica Beans, with notes of dried fruit, deliver a subtle coffee that is best appreciated long in a large cup.

Tierra Bio Organic (Intensity 7/13) – From Central and South America, organically grown, premium Arabica beans are combined to create a rich espresso with fruity and sweetly toasted notes. The dark roasting gives a soft and pleasant aftertaste of chocolate.

Qualita Rossa (Intensity 11/13) – From the union of Brazilian Arabica and Natural Robusta beans, the combination gives a full, balanced and full-bodied espresso with notes of dried fruit and a delicate aftertaste of chocolate.

Please see the blend guide below to assess which current blend is best to replace your previous blend selection that no longer exists.

Nespresso compatible capsules

Espresso Deciso (Intensity 10) – The full body of our Brazilian Arabica and the delicacy of its Central American Origins, strengthened by the Asian notes of cocoa, results in an intense and velvety coffee.

Lungo Intenso (Intensity 8) – An intense coffee, with persistent taste and with precious chocolate and dried fruit notes.

Bio-Organic (Intensity 6) – High-quality 100% Arabica blend from organic plantations in Central and South America, to create a delicate espresso with floral notes, and an aftertaste of toasted grains.

Espresso Armonico (Intensity 8) – Prized Arabica coffees from Central-South America fuse in a round and full-bodied coffee, from the faraway scent of toasted grains.

Lungo Avvolgente (Intensity 5) – Arabica from Central-South America and Africa, and Robusta from Asia together create a coffee that is full, aromatic, a vague scent of spices and cocoa and notes of intense sensuality.

Unsure what your best option is?

Get in touch with us and we’ll provide all the guidance you need to get you started on your coffee journey. We can help regardless of your needs, budget, or level of knowledge. Our team are passionate about coffee and want to ensure every one of our customers enjoys it as much as they do.

You can e-mail us on customerservice@coffeeclick.ie if you have any questions or would simply like some informal advice. We’re always happy to hear from you and will help in any way we can.

November | 2019