How To Recycle Nespresso Coffee Pods In New Zealand

Here at The Green Pods, we’re big on cutting down waste. We’ve tried to solve the problem of single use coffee pods with our reusable coffee capsules, BUT we understand not everyone wants the hassle of filling and cleaning a reusable pod every time they want a coffee.

Fortunately, Nespresso have been vigorously expanding their recycling program across New Zealand and around the world. With just a little extra effort from you the consumer, you can have the convenience over single use coffee without the guilt of adding to waste going to landfill.

In New Zealand, Nespresso provides the following three options to recycle used coffee pods.

1. Fill a pre-paid post bag and drop off at your nearest NZ Post Shop.
2. Return to the recycling bin in any Nespresso Boutique store.
3. Recycle at a participating florist or garden center collection point.

Read on as we discuss how this all works and give some other ideas what you can do with your old coffee pods.  

How to recycle your Nespresso pods.

Recycling your New Zealand Nespresso pods requires a little bit of extra effort, but it’s nothing too taxing. You don’t have to empty the coffee grinds, nor do you have to rinse them out. You simply have to make recycling your pods a part of your routine.

1.      Use a Nespresso Recycling Bag.

Nespresso has worked with NZ Post to create special Nespresso recycling bags that are compatible with the postal system here in New Zealand. Each bag cost $1.50 and you can order them from the Nespresso website, or pick some up from the Nespresso Boutique next time you’re in.

Then, simply fill your Nespresso NZ Post Recycling Bag with used capsules and return to any post shop when full. Each bag holds around 130 coffee pods so each one should last a couple of months.

Since there are over 270 New Zealand Post shops around the country, this is by far the easiest and most accessible method.

2.      Return to your local Nespresso Boutique Store

Nespresso currently has 6 Nespresso boutique stores around New Zealand. All these stores have dedicated recycling bins specifically for your used pods.

The six Nespresso Boutiques in New Zealand are:

• Nespresso Boutique Newmarket
• Nespresso Boutique Albany
• Nespresso Boutique Sylvia Park
• Nespresso Boutique Christchurch
• Nespresso Boutique Wellington
• Nespresso Boutique Auckland Central

You can also search on the Nespresso website for your nearest one.

3.      Return to a participating florist or garden centre around the country.

Nespresso has teamed up with over 100 florists and garden centers nationwide. These have dedicated Nespresso recycling bins just like the Nespresso boutiques do. Click here to find your Nearest participating store .

https://www.nespresso.com/nz/en/how-to-recycle-coffee-capsules

Note that you don’t need a special bag for dropping off your Nespresso pods, just for mailing them in. You can drop off at recycling points with whatever method is convenient for you.

So what does Nespresso do with the recycled pods?

When Nespresso receives the recycled pods, they separate the aluminum from the coffee grinds. The grinds are used to create things like compost or topsoil, while the aluminum is used to create new products and often go straight back into making new coffee pods. They also go into drink cans, bicycles, computers, and the coloured side panels of the Nespresso Pixie machines

What about the used Coffee grinds?

The Nespresso recycling center will separate the coffee grinds from the foil capsule and use these to produce a fertilizer and topsoil product. That’s pretty neat, but we reckon you should be benefiting from this awesome compost around your own home.

If you’re feeling creative, scrape out the used coffee grinds before sending the capsules away to be recycled. Then check out the article on 6 creative ways to recycle used coffee grounds around the home.