Increase in Capsule Coffee Recycling Driven by Eco-Friendly Trends

Image of Nespresso capsule recycling bag.

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] As the trend of value consumption considering eco-friendliness spreads, the recycling rate of discarded capsule coffee is increasing.

According to the related industry on the 26th, the recycling rate of capsule coffee by Nespresso, the number one capsule coffee brand in Korea, reached 32% at the end of last year. This is a 17% increase since 2014.

Nespresso currently operates recycling programs in more than 50 countries, including Korea. The collected capsules are separated into aluminum and coffee grounds; the aluminum is recycled into household goods and automobile parts, while the coffee grounds are reused as fertilizer on farms.

Nespresso Club members can put used coffee capsules into recycling bags and bring them to the nearest Nespresso boutique, or request home collection through the website, mobile application (app), or phone reservation.

A Nespresso official explained, "As consumers' awareness of eco-friendliness increases, the recycling rate is on the rise."

According to a recent survey conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency targeting 500 consumers who purchased capsule coffee and consumed it at least once a week over the past year, 91% (455 people) responded that they are willing to make efforts such as separate disposal to improve environmental pollution.

Among the methods, 78.5% responded that they would participate in separate disposal, which was the highest, and 45.9% said they would use capsule collection programs implemented by companies.

Meanwhile, according to the global market research firm Euromonitor, the domestic capsule coffee market size is estimated to have surpassed 100 billion KRW for the first time in 2018 and is expected to reach 200 billion KRW by the end of last year. This is believed to be due to the spread of the 'home cafe' culture, where people enjoy coffee at home, influenced by social distancing measures due to COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.