Nespresso has launched Ecolaboration, a platform for sustainable innovation and creating shared value. Nespresso commits itself to three targets by 2013: to source 80% of its coffee from its AAA Sustainable Quality Coffee Program; to treble its capacity to recycle capsules, to 75%; and to reduce the carbon footprint of a cup of Nespresso by 20%.

The new Hyper Espresso system fits into Illy’s models of sustainability, CoffeeGeek reports. “All the packaging produced by Illy and all the materials are recyclable”, Andrea Illy, Illy Caffè CEO, said. “It’s either metal or plastics, which are the most recyclable materials on the planet”, he added in the interview. According to Andrea Illy there are two ways plastic can die, either it is recycled, which requires collaboration from the consumer side, or it goes through thermal valorization. Because plastic is a combustible, it helps heat the temperature in the garbage and you can get energy from it. “There is a lot of energy now which is generated by waste, and plastic is only positive. In this case instead of using oil to burn directly, you burn plastic, plastic helps increase the burning capacity of the waste”, he commented.

(Calro Odello, source: CoffeeGeek)