Community Updates

UPS Expands Recycling Partnership with Nespresso from 20 States to the Entire Continental US

Nespresso, the worldwide pioneer and reference in premium, single-serve coffee, has expanded its partnership with UPS from 20 to 48 states to significantly extend the reach of its U.S. recycling program. By adding additional collection points in more locations across the country, it is now easier than ever for consumers to recycle Nespresso used capsules.

Published 8 years ago | About a 3 minute read

“We are committed to making recycling as convenient as possible for each of our consumers, which is why we have expanded our program with UPS” said Guillaume Le Cunff, President of Nespresso USA and member of the Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board. “By using aluminum packaging – which is recyclable – everyone who enjoys Nespresso has an option to recycle their used capsules. We will continue investing to make it easier for our consumers to recycle, as their participation is essential to make our recycling efforts a success.”

Nespresso offers pre-paid recycling bags for consumers in 48 states to mail back used capsules to be recycled. Those consumers can bring their bag filled with Nespresso used capsules to one of the 88,000 UPS drop off locations in the 48 states. Recycling bags can be given to UPS drivers or taken to The UPS Store, a UPS Drop Box, a UPS Customer Center, Office Depot or Staples locations, or UPS Authorized Shipping Outlets. Consumers can obtain bags free of charge by asking for them at a Nespresso Boutique, ordering them online, or calling the Nespresso Customer Relationship Center. There is no charge to drop off a prepaid return package.

“UPS is pleased to be working with Nespresso to help bring capsule recycling to the entire continental U.S.,” said Arnold Barlow, UPS Senior Manager for Sustainability Solutions. “We are committed to enabling our customers to operate their businesses more sustainably and are pleased to have delivered a solution to Nespresso to do just that.”

In addition to UPS, Nespresso has two other options in the U.S. to allow individuals to conveniently recycle their capsules, including 500 collection points at Nespresso Boutiques across the country and drop-off locations at select retail partners such as Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma and others. The full list of drop-off locations and partners can be found here.

Consumers can find the nearest recycling option quickly by downloading and using the Nespresso app or by visiting the Nespresso website. Capsules for professional customers can also be collected for recycling in the same way. And dedicated collection options can also be set up.

Once capsules are collected, they are sent to Nespresso partner, Ag Choice, where the aluminum is separated from coffee grounds. The coffee grounds are turned into nutrient-rich compost and topsoil and aluminum is processed and sent back to the aluminum value chain to be reused to produce new products. When collected, Aluminum has the benefit of being recyclable and an estimated 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today[1]. Aluminum is used in a wide range of other products ranging from window frames to bicycles.

Beyond recycling, Nespresso also looks at how it can make a difference in the overall aluminum supply chain and plays an active part in helping drive the responsible production of aluminum through its participation in the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI).

The Nespresso sustainability strategy includes specific goals related to coffee sourcing, aluminum and capsule recycling, and climate that are designed to generate positive impacts across the entire value chain. For more information on Nespresso’s sustainability approach, please visit nespresso.com/sustainability.