A coffee farm in Colombia. Nespresso sources some of its coffees from the country known for its prolific coffee-growing regions, including its Master Origins Colombia capsules.supplied
That first cup of coffee in the morning may taste great, but is it sustainable? From the plantation to the first sip, is it part of the solution to combat climate change?
Nespresso believes it should be and has committed to being fully carbon neutral — through decarbonization and compensation of residuals (insetting and offsetting) — through its entire supply chain and product life cycle by 2022.
The company had set out to achieve carbon neutrality on a longer timeframe, but believes the need is too urgent to wait. A warming climate is a direct threat to coffee farmers and the world at large, and Nespresso is committed to a net-zero footprint from the soil to the recycling bin and beyond!
Here are four ways the company plans to reach its goal:
1. Reducing carbon emissions: To reach net-zero emissions, Nespresso is aiming for 100 per cent renewable energy sources in all boutiques and increased use of biogas in manufacturing, as well as increased use of recycled materials in its products.
The company has already increased the use of recycled aluminum in its pods and is the first coffee company to join the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative, which sets global standards for sustainable production of new aluminum that includes biodiversity management in mining, protection of the rights of Indigenous people and reductions in emissions and waste.
2. Increasing carbon capture: Trees are carbon sinks and, with that in mind, Nespresso has partnered with the social enterprise Pur Projet to triple the capacity for planting trees in coffee-producing countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Costa Rica.
Planting trees on coffee farms and surrounding areas not only protects against soil erosion, it promotes soil regeneration and provides shade that results in abundant and high-quality coffee harvests.
3. Investing in offsets: Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is only one part of the climate change equation. Reducing the carbon already in the atmosphere is another.
As part of its climate change commitments, Nespresso has committed to investing in broader forest conservation and restoration initiatives and providing clean energy to farming communities.
4. Expanding recycling programs: Nespresso has more than 800 retail boutiques in 84 countries and more than 100,000 collection points for used capsules. It means 91 per cent of Nespresso consumers already have access to recycling, but the company is determined to expand on that.
In Canada, almost 100 per cent of Nespresso drinkers have access to recycling, either at their local boutique or participating retail partner, via Nespresso’s unique mail-in recycling program, or with the innovative green bag placed in their municipal recycling bag or bin.
And Nespresso is working on expanding recycling to more municipalities in Canada.
To find out which recycling solution is accessible to you, visit: Nespresso.com/recycle-Nespresso
This fall, the company introduced the first coffee capsules made of 80 per cent recycled aluminum and, by the end of next year, aims to have extended that ratio to its whole range of residential coffee capsules.
Company leaders believe a circular economy is the economic model of a low-carbon future. To that end, Nespresso launched a fully recyclable machine packaging made of 95 per cent recycled materials with a vow to extend that to all machine packaging by the end of 2021.
“Climate change is a reality and our future depends on going further and faster on our sustainability commitments,” says Alfonso Troisi, president of Nespresso Canada. “That is why, at a global level, we are accelerating our commitments to offer our consumers a way to drink a carbon neutral cup of coffee by 2022. A coffee, made from the finest and rarest beans, sustainably sourced. I look forward to fulfilling this commitment in Canada so that both our business and the coffee industry can be a force for good.”
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.