Convenient and affordable coffee capsules have become widely used, changing the way people consume coffee.
Traditional coffee capsules are made using pre-made plastic cups and aluminum lids. Each capsule is filled with a single serving of pre-ground coffee and is extracted and used in various coffee capsule machines on the market.
However, the mass appeal and convenience of coffee capsules also bring many disadvantages. Studies have found that currently tens of thousands of discarded coffee capsules end up in landfills every month.
The mixture of aluminum and plastic is difficult to recycle and takes up to 500 years to decompose. As more and more consumers become eco-conscious, some people hope that coffee capsules will become more sustainable.https://www.autopacking-machines.com/sale-45308479-full-automatic-coffee-capsules-production-line-coffee-coffee-capsule-maker-packing-packaging-machine.html
How are coffee capsules made?
First, a large number of pre-made coffee capsule cups are produced in the factory, and then the coffee powder is filled and sealed in the pre-formed capsules. Each capsule usually contains 5-7 grams of coffee powder. After filling, the capsule is sealed with the most common aluminum lid.
The seal uses an airtight sealing process, and the capsule is filled with nitrogen before the aluminum lid is fused to the capsule cup. This effectively prevents oxygen from entering the capsule, ensuring that the coffee stays fresher for longer.
The user inserts the capsule into the capsule coffee machine, presses the brew button, and quickly gets a cup of fresh and strong coffee. The machine allows hot water to enter the capsule by punching holes in the aluminum cover, allowing the coffee to be fully extracted. As the hot water passes through the capsule, the bottom breaks and the coffee drips into the cup through the machine's funnel.
The most commonly used coffee capsules are disposable. Because of the way they break, the capsules cannot be reused after brewing once.
Aluminum and polybutylene terephthalate plastic (PBT) are the two main materials used to make coffee capsules.
Capsules made of pure aluminum and without any plastic are fully recyclable. However, most coffee capsules contain different plastics or other materials and cannot be recycled.
The industry is currently looking to test alternative packaging materials to make disposable capsule waste fully biodegradable or compostable.
How can coffee capsules become more sustainable?
To achieve sustainability, coffee capsules can use a wider range of reusable and recyclable materials. These include refillable steel capsules, recyclable aluminum capsules, and capsules made from compostable and biodegradable materials.
Plastic remains the most popular material for coffee capsules due to its affordability. Aluminum capsules are somewhat expensive, and some consumers are willing to buy them because of their "premium" perception.
In addition, biodegradable and compostable materials are relatively new and are mainly used by independent manufacturers. These companies tend to operate at higher prices than coffee giants such as Nestlé, Lavazza and Tassimo.
What should coffee capsules be treated with?
As consumers become more eco-conscious, the future of sustainability for coffee capsules looks promising.
Until more sustainable coffee capsule packaging emerges, both producers and users need to consider sustainability factors when producing and using coffee capsules.
Producers should reduce or even eliminate the use of plastics and increase the proportion of aluminum materials in each capsule, striving to achieve 100% aluminum materials.
After using the capsule, consumers should remove the lid, pour the used coffee grounds into the compost bin, and then put the capsule and lid in the recycling bin to achieve 100% recycling. Biodegradable coffee capsules can be added directly to natural waste or compost bins along with the used coffee grounds.
https://www.autopacking-machines.com/sale-44329944-coffee-capsules-filling-packing-machine-use-for-plastic-nespresso-k-cup-capsules-aluminum-cup.html
For customized coffee capsule machine solutions, please contact us: https://www.autopacking-machines.com/contactus.html
Your message must be between 20-3,000 characters!