Paper Capsules: when sustainability meets design

The creation of Nespresso was essentially a love story. A love of coffee – more on this in another post - and a love of the home of espresso, Italy. Italy….such a stylish, beautiful country, not just for its coffee, but for its design. It was and remains the inspiration for many of our coffees. So it is fitting that one year on from our first launch of home compostable, paper capsules in France – punctuated by a Swiss launch in Autumn 2023 – we recently made our Italian debut at Milano Design Week. I’ve just returned from an excellent visit there, where I had the privilege of meeting a very talented group of colleagues, full of passion, team spirit , creativity and the right focus on business priorities…yes, paper capsules being one of them. I am so inspired by this market visit with our European zone!

Furniture, architecture, clothing, handbags and shoes…you name the product, Italy makes it beautifully. All around the streets during this iconic Design Week, the city joins in with pop-ups and events, celebrating innovation and style. Our pop-up in the Brera district featured the full range of Nespresso paper capsules, in new monochrome paper bags, as stylish as they are compostable.

The paper range has been a journey of continuous improvement for us, diving into the unknown, and welcoming the challenges as our customers offer us constant feedback. The 5 coffees already developed, the 2 new ones in planning, the simpler opening of the bags, the specific ritual to avoid capsules blocking machines…all represent a learning curve as we move to align high quality coffee with compostability and our famous Nespresso design sense. For me personally, this alignment of attributes represents all that we strive for, with no compromise.

Even as I write, the range has begun selling in the Nordic countries as well, reflecting our consumers’ wishes. But as each nation has different standards and regulations, what made Italy particularly interesting – aside from the market’s express wish to have paper capsules – is that its compost waste stream is public. The ability to use the organic waste bins makes Italy the easiest place in Europe to compost.

As we continue expanding both the range of paper capsules and their availability, we are mindful that connecting in person with our consumers to introduce them to a whole new Nespresso experience is key. For which reason, for the time being you will only find capsules in actual boutiques. 5 espressos, one of which is decaffeinated and another certified organic. I am so proud of what we have achieved in bringing together a new way of consuming and disposing of coffee with design style and beauty. This defines Nespresso to me.

#recyclingproductdesing #milandesignweek #coffeesustainability

Valeria Casani mario valla Thomas Reuter Simone Jansen Chloé Barthelemy Frigerio Michele Stefan Trojer Emma Eagle Karen Jessep Luca Dussi Monica Pellegrini Simona Liguoro Dario Sacco @Max Miranda Antonio Pioli Silvia Totaro