One of the main objections to capsule based coffee machines such as Nespresso is the concern over the waste produced by the disposal of the empty pods. If you are concerned about this issue there are two options.

• aluminum pods

• biodegradable pods

According to research, both are efficient solutions if the user follows the appropriate disposal system, in line with the manufacturers recommendations.

For aluminum pods this can be a little confusing as it varies between manufacturers, depending on the overall construction of the pod. Some pods can recyclable in aluminum banks and local waste collection while others must be collected by a seperate scheme.

However, biodegradable pods are less complicated with all companies stating that they are best disposed of in local authority compost systems where the high temperatures and moisture ensure rapid decomposition.

The rest of this page contains Nespresso compatible pods that are biodegradable and discusses other considerations of sustainability.

So if you are looking at this page because you are interested in reducing the impact on the planet of your Nespresso coffee there are several aspects that need considering.

what is your is your energy consumption?

Research by Quantis and KTH looked at the electricity consumption of a wide range of brewing methods during brewing, heating and wasting coffee they showed that single serve coffee systems such as Nespresso are the most energy efficient way of brewing with the least waste.

So is it expensive to have an environmental conscience?

It depends on what aspects you want from your coffee and your view on cost.

Nespresso's own coffee pods have quite strong sustainability credentials. Their aluminium pods are recyclable and return collection is provided, the coffee is Rainforest Alliance approved and Nespresso has also pledged to be carbon neutral by 2022. An average original Nespresso pod is around 35p each so below is a quick comparison how some compostable pods compare.

So which biodegradable pods should you buy? As always that is a matter of opinion. What should you judge it on?

taste

Obviously taste is a very important consideration in buying your coffee. You can of course check out amazon listings for each of these coffees, look at the overall star rating and individual comments. If you are looking for something a bit more independent in terms of taste rating you could look at the 'Great Taste' awards. Two of the coffees listed here have gained an award from this organisation:

Source Climate Change- Two of the coffees in the range have gained an award in 2021

Sons of Amazon- Gained an award in 2020

Overall credentials

Again, you can go through the coffee's listed and look for the greatest range of sustainability aspects and read the detail on their programmes. Alternativly you could turn to the 'Which' magazine. In 2019 Grind recieved a 'best buy' with an overall rating of 83%. Other tested brands included Dualit, The Eden Project, Blue Goose and Roar Gill