Coffee capsules represent an example of a product with a poor design that does not allow its correct management as waste and recycling. Their small size and the fact that they are still full of organic content when they have become waste makes it difficult to recycle them, even though most of them are made of aluminum and it is a completely recyclable material. Furthermore, it is a product that does not cover any real need in society and that presents many traditional and more sustainable alternatives, such as the use of Italian coffee makers and bulk ground coffee.
Evolution of the estimated quantity of coffee capsules sold in Catalonia and the associated waste generation
Source:Prepared by Rezero on the basis data from Alimarket and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Spanish Government
The year 2021 has been the first year in which the consumption of coffee capsules has decreased compared to the previous year, since the appearance of this product about 15 years ago.
Even so, consumption is high, estimated at around 572 million units of capsules annually in Catalonia.