Coffeephiles are a discerning bunch. Knowing where your coffee comes from, or how it was roasted and ground, is great – but what about how the plant itself is grown? Or the carbon footprint of your morning cup? These sustainability questions have never been more important – a 2020 study of UK consumers found that almost half (46%) believe that sustainability issues are important – but struggle with what they should do.
As one of the world’s most traded commodities, coffee has a huge role to play in the global battle against climate change, and Nespresso is committing to making sure that every cup of its coffee will be carbon neutral by 2022.
Its sustainability journey began 30 years ago and in 2014 its six-year sustainability strategy was named The Positive Cup (pdf). This is a multi-pronged approach to reducing and compensating for emissions, from increased use of recyclables to carbon insetting projects that benefit the very communities in which the coffee is grown, and mass tree planting to enrich soil and biodiversity alike. In fact, Nespresso was recognised with a World Finance Sustainability Award in 2021 for its work in coffee processing.
With that 2022 carbon-neutral deadline fast approaching, here are some of Nespresso’s proudest achievements, in numbers:
93% of Nespresso coffee is sourced via its AAA Sustainable Quality programme
The AAA scheme, created in 2003 with the help of the Rainforest Alliance, sees Nespresso’s agronomists work with the farmers from whom they source their coffee to develop sustainable practices – to grow the best quality and most responsible product possible.
More than 50% of capsules are now recycled in the UK
Nespresso pods are made of aluminium, which is infinitely recyclable. Podback, the pioneering service the company co-founded alongside Nestlé Dolce Gusto, Tassimo and L’Or, enables coffee drinkers to have their used pods collected for recycling – kerbside or from their local drop off points.
5.2m trees planted
Tree planting is central to a regenerative, carbon-neutral approach to growing coffee: not only do trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they give vital shade to the plants and improve the soil in which they grow.
The company introduced the first capsules made from 80% recycled aluminium
Recycling aluminium creates 95% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than producing it from raw materials. Nespresso has this year introduced capsules which use 80% recycled aluminium for Original Master Origin Colombia and the ambition is to make all its Original and Vertuo capsules using recycled aluminium by early 2022.
Nespresso will be fully carbon neutral by the end of 2022
The company’s business operations (factories, shops or logistics and energy used by the business) have been carbon neutral since 2017. But increased use of renewable energy and recycling – alongside tree planting – can reduce emissions in the supply chain and eliminate the carbon footprint of every cup.
585m Swiss francs (£464m) invested in The Positive Cup between 2014 and 2020
If you want to make every cup of coffee you produce have a positive impact, you must invest in your goals. Nearly half of the money that went into The Positive Cup went directly towards Nespresso’s coffee operations, and most of the remainder to recycling outcomes.
48% of Nespresso coffee is sourced from Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certified plantations
The Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade are independent organisations that verify that farmers are working to high standards to generate a positive social, economic and environmental impact. Their stamp of approval enhances the value of the product for the farmers, too.
The carbon footprint of a Nespresso cup of coffee has reduced by 24% since 2009
The target for carbon footprint reduction set by the UN’s sustainable development goals was 12.2%.
The Vertuo Next machine is made from 54% recycled material
Take the favourite Vertuo five-cup size design, give it a sustainability makeover, and what do you get? A machine built using more than half recycled plastic, packaged in 100% recycled cardboard – and ready to make a delicious coffee in under 30 seconds.
100% of Nespresso’s operational carbon footprint is insetted
Unlike offsetting, where you effectively trade away your carbon emissions, insetting demands finding ways to reduce and neutralise the impact your business is having in the very environment where you operate. For Nespresso, that means ambitious agroforestry where trees are planted and carbon is sequestered at its suppliers’ farms, and in their surrounding ecosystems.
Discover what’s next for Nespresso’s journey to carbon-neutral coffee here
