Nespresso has announced a significant investment in recycling infrastructure for Westchester County’s Refuse Disposal District. Residents in the Refuse District can now recycle used Nespresso capsules and other small, non-ferrous aluminum items directly in their at-home curbside recycling bins, alongside their regular metal, glass, carton, and plastic recyclables.
The program will directly support more than 900,000 local residents, offering them another convenient and simple way to recycle. Small-format aluminum materials are processed locally at the Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) Material Recovery Facility, which allows the District to divert additional material from the waste stream, conserve natural resources, and continue to make recycling easy for residents. This initiative aims to connect both sides of the recycling journey by supporting material collection as well as growing recycled aluminum demand, with organizations such as the International Aluminium Institute leading the way. By supporting both recovery and material market developments, it keeps the aluminum in use longer and reinforces the value of recycling.
“Expanding our curbside recycling program to Westchester marks a significant step forward for recycling infrastructure,” said Melania Luna, Vice President of Operations, Nespresso USA. “For over 30 years, Nespresso has been committed to making recycling easy for our customers. Thanks to our partners, Westchester County, Glass Packaging Institute, and the US Aluminum Association, we’re thrilled that our capsules and other small metals can now be properly captured and given a second life. Through collaborations like this, we create a pathway not only for our products but for the entire industry to advance recycling solutions.”
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkin said: “Westchester County is proud to work with partners like Nespresso and the Glass Packaging Institute to make recycling more accessible for our residents. Expanding curbside recycling to include Nespresso capsules and other small, non-ferrous aluminum items helps capture more valuable resources and keep additional waste out of landfills. This collaboration is another example of how public and private partners can work together to make sustainability easier for our communities.”
“Smaller recyclable metals, plastics, and paper are often lost at the initial sort and end up in the glass recycling material, said Scott DeFife, president of the Glass Packaging Institute.
“Investments in equipment, with support from Nespresso and partner communities like Westchester County, help to effectively recover and recycle smaller materials in their proper place,” said DeFife. This unrivaled cross-industry partnership is critical to improve recycling.
Marlen Bertram, Director Scenarios and Forecasts, International Aluminium Institute said: “Aluminum can be recycled endlessly, yet close to 8 million metric tons go uncollected worldwide every year, 58% of it from packaging. That is a serious loss of a critical raw material our economies depend on. This project proves what is possible when we work with customers, collaborate across materials, and partner with countries and communities: we can recover far more scrap and return it to the circular economy. That is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.”