Nexe president: Avoiding waste and toxic byproducts of compostable espresso pods with 3D printing

10 Aug 2021 --- 3D printing has revolutionized Nexe Innovations’ manufacturing and prototyping process, the company’s president Ash Guglani, tells PackagingInsights. 

Following Nexe Innovations’ recent compostable espresso pods launch in the US and Canada, Guglani shares his insights about the environmental benefits of company’s 3D printing prototyping process.

“In a traditional prototyping cycle using an old-school plastic manufacturing method, it takes a lot of time and material just to produce one iteration,” he details.

“Even making the smallest adjustments to the dimensions of a product, you have to manufacture a new stainless steel mold each time.”

Heavy steel manufacturing is also one of the world’s largest sources of carbon emissions, he notes. “So, whenever you need a new half-ton block of steel for a prototype, and you may need it 50 to 60 times, they all end up in the trash because the previous prototype didn’t work. This creates a lot of waste.”

In the 3D printing process, the only waste produced is actually the compostable components themselves, he highlights. “In 3D printing, one of the most common commercial elements used for printing is BLA or poly-lactic acid.”

“This is a compostable bio-polymer and it is one of the primary components of our formula. It has made it very easy to prototype a realistic end product, reducing time, waste, and emissions spent on creating prototypes.”

Nexe has invested over six years into R&D to create the technology behind the new espresso pods. (Credit: Nexe) Six years of research
Nexe has invested over six years into research and development to create the technology behind the new espresso pods.

“We started with formulating and testing different plant-based materials that would give us the right properties. For example, for a coffee pod you need a material resistant to heat and water pressure, which won’t affect the flavor of the coffee.”

Nexe’s pod materials have been validated as fully biodegradable by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and a soon to be completed certification from the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).

“After lots of trial and error, we were able to create a fully compostable pod that breaks down completely, leaving no toxic byproduct behind while also having no effect on the product’s taste,” notes Guglani.

Once the pods are disposed of, the only residue that remains is a rich fertilizer that can be used to grow healthy plants.

Contrasting conventional coffee pods
Traditional coffee pods in a landfill take up to 500 years to decompose. If stacked on top of each other, they could circle the Earth 15 times. When they do break down, they still leave behind contamination and microplastics.

Recyclable pods often include non-recyclable plastic and aluminum – making them less likely to be recycled properly or recycled at all.

“Even once separated, many areas don’t have the infrastructure to properly recycle the material,” Guglani notes.

Other sustainable coffee pods have run into issues in the past for negatively affecting the taste of the resulting coffee, he highlights.

“The softer bottoms in some compostable pods can expose the coffee to moisture and result in a loss of freshness. Some also contain fewer coffee grounds as the materials used need to be thicker to obtain the same strength.”

Nexe coffee pods. (Credit: Nexe)By contrast, all elements of Nexe’s pod are plant-based and fully compostable in as little as 35 days in industrial composting facilities. The pods are compatible with the popular Nespresso OriginalLine machines and are manufactured and packaged in the company's operations plant. 

“Manufacturing its products in-house avoids unnecessary delays and shipping costs while controlling recipe development and trade secrets,” highlights Guglani.

Convenience at the core
This is the first Nexe-branded coffee product that the company is introducing into the single-serve coffee pod market that is currently valued at more than US$25 billion annually.  

More people are working from home and making their own coffee, rather than having their morning cup at a coffee shop or at work, but they still want the same great taste and convenience.

“There is also a greater demand for eco-friendly products,” says Guglani. “Everyone wants to do their part to reduce waste and single-use plastics but it can be difficult if there aren’t viable options on the market.”

“Coffee drinkers are already sustainability-minded but also very discerning: they are more than willing to switch to a product that is good for the environment but not if it compromises the taste of the coffee or the convenience of the pod delivery.”

Coffee capsules have come under heat in recent years for their weak sustainability profile and single-use reputation.Capsules come under fire
Coffee capsules have come under heat in recent years for their weak sustainability profile and single-use reputation. 

UK research from compostable coffee pod manufacturer Halo reveals 59 billion standard coffee capsules were produced in 2018, with 56 billion likely to end up in landfills. There, they can take up to 500 years to decompose, leaving behind microplastic contamination.

To curb these enormous amounts of unrecyclable single-use waste, plastic alternative coffee pods have caught industry’s attention, such as Nespresso’s coffee capsules made with 80 percent recycled aluminum, Lost Sheep Coffee’s wood bark capsules and Melitta’s recycled plastic tea capsules.

In February, Xoma and Nexe launched soluble organic MCT coffee in fully compostable capsules. Meanwhile, Lavazza introduced Eco Caps two years ago, a range of compostable coffee capsules in partnership with TerraCycle.

“Nexe is committed to producing sustainable products that make zero-waste living easy,” says Guglani. “We believe that there doesn't have to be a trade-off between quality, great taste, convenience, and sustainability.”

“We are also working with well-respected publications to share our story about how we are spearheading the compostability movement, beginning with coffee pods. These initiatives are all underway.”

By Benjamin Ferrer, with additional reporting from Anni Schleicher