What Happens To The Used Coffee Pods?

[icyfroth]

Jon Dee - head of environmental group DoSomething and founder of  National  Recycling Week, Planet Ark and National Tree Day - says he will write to the  Australian Competition and Consumer Commission next week asking it to  investigate the truth of the company's recycling advertising.

Illustration: Matt Golding.

A series of  Nespresso sustainability advertisements featuring the company's  recycling program use Clooney -  appearances in addition to his commercials  plugging the ubiquitous aluminium coffee pods that are causing the waste  problem, alongside the plastic pods made by some of Nespresso's competitors.

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''George Clooney has almost single-handedly launched an entire new waste  stream globally as a result of fronting the Nespresso adverts,'' Mr Dee said.  ''It shows the Clooney effect has undoubtedly been enormous in this. But George  Clooney - for a guy who is so switched on to civil rights and other issues - to  lead the charge in causing such environmental damage and waste and other issues  is really disappointing.''

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We recently got a Nespresso Machine at work. I was shocked to see how much unryclable waste it creates. I have no doubt it makes delicious coffee but I refuse to use it.

It replaces an old-style (old-style ) coffee bean grinding machine with cleanable reusable parts, which is being phased out. The coffee grounds could be put in the bin with no concern for the environment.

"Nicole Parker, Nespresso's Australian marketing manager, says the company knows it has to address recycling concerns.

Currently, customers can return used  pods to one of the 11 Nespresso boutiques around Australia - with a 12th to open  in the Melbourne CBD next week. There is also a recycling drop-off program run in conjunction with suburban florists.

Jon Dee describes these measures as so limited and difficult to observe as to  be meaningless. ''It shows they're not serious.''

He also rejected Nespresso's claim that aluminium packaging is more  environmentally friendly - on the grounds aluminium does more harm in its  production. And he attacks a Nespresso video for showing used pods being placed  in a domestic recycling bin, for which they are not suitable."

[2106greencat]

Too true - no way those plastic pods are going to break down in the next 10,000 years or so.

I have my old trusty coffee bean - filter gizmo, and it'll do me.

[j*oono]

I have a great tip for recycling.

When I can be bothered making real coffee (happy with instant at home) then I use the brown paper coffee filter bags in my little nespresso machine.  

Not only can the bags and coffee grounds go straight into the compost bin, there is also another use for these bags.

Have you ever tried to make tzatziki and you are supposed to whip out a bit of muslin to drain the yoghurt over a bowl? Well I don't happen to have bits of muslin.  I have found that by lining a cup with a coffee filter bag and filling it with the yoghurt it works perfectly.  They are also great for draining the grated cucumber too.

This morning I am going to see if I can poach an egg in a coffee filter bag 

You can buy little paper egg poaching bags from Coles and I don't see why coffee filters would be any different and they are much cheaper.  Waste straight into the compost.

[icyfroth]

good on you Joono!

My mother used to make her coffee in a Melitta filter in one of those straining cups, I still have it. I always have instant at home but indulge myself with the one coffee bean coffee maker cup at work. Once it's phased out I'll probably just drink tea.

Healthier.

[lurker17260]

My local coffee roasters sell refillable pods, so all you throw out it the grounds.
I haven't tried them yet because I only found put about them after I ordered my Nespresso pods (funnily enough from the delivery driver lol) but I know they roast great coffee.
I'll be giving them a go next time.

Or is that what you mean by the plastic ones?

[icyfroth]

I think they mean this kind of coffee pod when they mention plastic coffee pods:

these are the aluminium Nespresso pods we use at work:

and that's not mentioning the disposable plastic nozzles for the milk frother and the sleeves of  paper cups.

[freakiness]

I don't use them, nor does the cafe I buy coffee from. The one that uses pods have awful coffee and their cups leak if you don't drink it fast enough.  I like to smell the real coffee aroma.

Pods, imo, are just waste generators that limit your ability to make the coffee strong enough.

[just_me_karen]

I thought the plastic in those pods could be recycled?

I accidentally bought a box of those pods ... I don't have a pod machine...so I ripped off the lid and put the coffee in a paper filter and made it into a cup...then chucked the filter and grounds into my compost.

It was messy and the coffee was mediocre, but it was better than wasting them.

[j*oono]

It worked!

Coffee filter bags make perfect egg poachers.  Wiltshire poachies cost $5 for a pack of twenty.  Coffee filter bags cost $2 something for a pack of forty.  Results... exactly the same.

Just fish them out of the boiling water with tongs and drain on paper towels.  Then just plop them out onto your toast.

[just_me_karen]

Wow, that might be something I could do without ruining another saucepan with eggie bits.