Coffee capsule manufacturers in the Netherlands have joined forces to address the recycling of capsules through the Koffie Capsule Recycling Nederland (KCR-NL).
The eight founding members of the KCR-NL are Ahold Delhaize Coffee Company, Beyers Koffie, Cappac, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Nespresso, Nestlé, Euro Caps and UCC Coffee Benelux.
“The reason for its establishment is the fact that only 25 percent of coffee capsules are recycled,” says KCR-NL spokesperson Lisanne Evers.
KRC-NL is aiming to increase the recycling percentage of aluminium capsules from 25 per cent to 75 per cent by 2026, as well as increasing plastic capsule recycling from 5 per cent to 60 per cent.
“By better connecting to consumer behaviour, the new association ensures that the circular ambitions of the coffee sector are realised more quickly,” says Evers.
KRC-NL will invest in technology found at waste processors that remove coffee capsules from residual waste.
Omrin has become the first waste processing company to associate with the KRC-NL, with the organisation hoping to add more partners in the future.
“We applaud initiatives and investments in new techniques, such as those by the Association of Coffee Capsule Recycling Netherlands and Omrin,” says Waste Management Association Spokesperson Jeroen Stein.
“Waste companies are increasingly developing into raw material suppliers where cooperation with producers is crucial.”
The eight founding companies of the KCR-NL sell approximately 1.9 billion coffee capsules in the Netherlands every year, forming 90 per cent of the market.
