Coffee Capsules: Brewing Sustainably
We live in a world of millennial and Gen Z lifestyles that coin’s coffee as the go-to beverage. Coffee satisfies the much-needed caffeine craving to take on the day, but since everyone is always on the run, convenient coffee brewing options have become popular. Coffee capsules and coffee machines have taken off in recent years as it is the easiest way to prepare great tasting barista-style coffee at home in minutes.
However, single-use plastic or Aluminium coffee capsules are perceived as environmentally unfriendly due to issues in recycling. While we agree that plastic is definitely a problem, using recyclable aluminum coffee capsules or even compostable ones is actually good for the environment.
At Coffeeza, we craft our coffee blends with top grade beans and seal them in recyclable Aluminium capsules to preserve the flavours and aromas of coffee grounds. Aluminium is the only material with a 100% oxygen barrier that keeps coffee fresh.
Still, wouldn’t coffee Aluminium coffee capsules lead to waste generation? Does the C in coffee capsules really mean convenience or is it transitioning into carbon footprints? Aren’t millions of coffee capsules being just tossed over into landfills and oceans? What about the energy and raw materials required to manufacture these capsules- isn’t it adding to the pollution? With the environmental crisis being a rising issue, these questions are bound to give you a guilt trip. But we beg to differ.
Researchers now say that coffee capsules may not bad for the environment in comparison to other ways of making coffee, specially when you look at the full life cycle of a cup of coffee.
a) Saves Energy and reduces carbon footprint
When you look at the life cycle of coffee, the harvesting and production of the coffee beans makes up 40% to 80% of emissions, which is something beyond our control. Apart from the energy required to grow the coffee beans and roast them (which is way more than manufacturing coffee capsules), the second biggest concern is the energy it takes to brew coffee.
Let’s look at 3 popular ways of brewing coffee, Filter/Drip, French Press and Coffee Capsules.
Filter coffee carries the largest carbon footprint. This is because it uses the highest quantity of coffee grounds, 20-25 grams to produce one cup, compared to 17 grams for French press, against a coffee capsule that holds only 5-6gms of ground coffee. The less coffee used for brewing the better for the environment. Also, since coffee grounds are pre measured and sealed in capsules, there is no wastage as compared to other brewing methods, where you have to measure manually.
Meanwhile, coffee capsules machines like the Finero Next are designed to use the ideal amount of coffee and water, leading to less of both being wasted.
b) Recyclable
Unlike plastic capsules, Coffeeza’s Aluminium capsules are already recyclable, but the brand also saves you the efforts of recycling them responsibly. Coffeeza’s capsule recycling program, allows you to return empty capsules in lots of 200 back to the brand. You are also rewarded for doing your bit to be an eco-warrior. These empty capsules are then sent to a recycler in Gujarat to make Aluminium ingots, which are then used to make various products such as Aluminium sheets, cables, and even alloys.
As a coffee lover who needs that convenience of brewing good coffee at home and wants to be mindful of the environment. Choose brands like Coffeeza who not only switched from plastic to recyclable Aluminium coffee capsules, but are actively working on making sure that these used capsules do not end up in landfills and are re-purposed.
