May 27, 2020
Our New Range of Sustainable Nespresso-Compatible Coffee Capsules
We are delighted to introduce our new range of Nespresso-Compatible Spiller & Tait Coffee Capsules. These capsules, or pods, respond to our customers' desire for delicious tasting fresh coffee, that is easy to make. For three years we have been trying a variety of plant-based, recycled plastic and aluminium capsules to act as a convenient mechanism for brewing our delicious coffee. It has not been an easy journey.
Our desire for a sustainable solution led us initially to plant-based cardboard compounds and plant-based plastic for our capsules. But these failed to pierce properly in Nespresso machines, which we chose because they are the most ubiquitous capsule machines in Europe. The compounds also failed to be airtight, which is needed for keeping the coffee fresh. The recycled plastic pods worked quite well. But, in the end, we were just not comfortable contributing significantly to more plastic waste in the world. We are slowly doing our best at every turn to reduce our dependence on plastic packaging at Spiller & Tait.
So, finally, we have opted for aluminium capsules. They are simply the best capsules we tried that will ensure you get the freshest cup of quality coffee every time. They provide the highest protection against oxygen, light and humidity, which can really affect freshness and taste. And the good news, from a sustainability perspective, is that our aluminium capsules are 100 percent aluminium and therefore infinitely recyclable. After removing the aluminium lid and emptying the used coffee grains (click here for used grains recycling ideas), the capsules can be put into your household recycling bin. From there, pure aluminium is easily recycled into other aluminium products.
One of the beauties of our capsules is that the lids come off relatively easily, and you won’t have to worry about total removal because the lid itself is also 100% aluminium and can be recycled too. This is a significant benefit over other brands’ capsules, which need to have complete separation of the lids as they are not aluminium. It can be a fiddly and time consuming process!
Finally, we have worked with our roasting and packaging partners to choose high quality single origin coffee and coffee blends which suit the capsule delivery method, whilst meeting our desire to offer tastes which are balanced, rich and lacking in bitterness.
Our capsules are initially offered with three coffees and, where possible, we have focused on achieving other sustainable sourcing credentials with each coffee. Our first three coffees are:
Colombian - FairTrade and Organic coffee from the Huila Region, arguably the best growing region in Colombia.Ligero Blend - Rainforest Alliance coffee from various regions within Nicaragua.
Congo - Single Origin coffee from the South Kivu Region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our range of Spiller & Tait Coffee Capsules are offered in boxes of 10 capsules for only £3.50 per box. Multipacks can also be ordered. See all of our capsules here.