Coffee company Lavazza has replaced its range of coffee capsules with fully compostable pods. They can also be recycled in one of two ways; by dropping them off to a recycling station or by starting your own. Incentives to recycle come in the form of reward points which can be redeemed against a charity or school chosen by the owner of the points.
Lavazza’s prior range of coffee pods were created using a mix of plastics, aluminium and foil which can take hundreds of years to break down. The move comes as a number of companies rethink their sustainability policies following public outcry over the use of non-organic materials which impact the environment and eco-systems of animals, and animals themselves with fatal consequences.
In the UK, plastic waste amounts to 5 million tonnes per year with the average family throwing away 40kg that can be recycled. Larger amounts are unable to be recycled due to complex productions and/or shapes including yoghurt and dessert pots.
Lavazza’s production pledge is a welcome addition in a world of otherwise uninterested corporations. Not only does the move ignore middlemen of the recycling industry, but allows consumers to recycle at home.
This, I hope is a step in the right direction, with potential to prod other production houses into using eco-friendly packaging. This will allow the general public to recycle themselves, as the reach of most recycling companies is not congruent in a world of immoderateness.
Stanisland Magazine 