The cost of convenience
There’s no doubt we love our coffee here in Australia. We also love convenience, with a staggering estimated 6 million coffee capsules used every day.
Coffee capsules offer the home coffee brewer an easy way to achieve consistent flavour and the perfect crema. And it certainly costs less than buying a takeaway coffee from a cafe, which can set you back around $3.50 for a regular cup!
When you compare that to the cost of a single capsule, ranging from 37c for Aldi Expressi to 68c for Nespresso®, there’s little wonder why disposable coffee capsules have become so popular.
While it is less expensive to buy ground coffee beans and use a regular coffee machine, many of us don’t mind paying a little extra for convenience.
But how much more is it really? We’ve compared the cost of buying coffee grounds versus pre-packaged capsules using a few popular retail brands as an example in the infographic below:
What about the environmental cost?
The manufacturing of products and packaging takes energy – energy that results in pollutants being dispelled into the air, water and earth. But what many of us don’t consider is the energy it takes to recycle those products. From the trucks that transport recycling bins to the machines used in recycling facilities, energy is needed to break down each item, with some materials requiring more energy to process than others.
As convenient as they are, coffee capsules are not easily recycled. That’s because they’re too small for our recycling facilities to separate them from other rubbish, and end up falling through into general waste and contributing to the global landfill issue.
Disposable coffee capsules require special facilities to ensure they are properly recycled – taking a little more effort than simply dropping them into your recycling bin at home. And unfortunately, the number of capsules that are actually being recycled here in Australia is not currently known.
How can you make a difference?
Recycling coffee pods is preferable to tossing them into general waste, but there is a better solution. And it doesn’t involve throwing out your Nespresso® capsule machine.
Simply make the switch to refillable SealPod capsules, and not only will you be helping the environment, you’ll also reduce the cost of every brew.
Here’s how:
• SealPod capsules are designed to be reused, not disposed of.
• Made from 100% stainless steel with a silicone ring, the capsules will last a lifetime.
• Fill (and refill) SealPods with your choice of ground coffee beans, offering more choice and big savings compared to pre-packaged capsules.