Without realizing it, coffee capsules or coffee pods have a huge impact on the environment. Therefore, the ball capsule coffee made by a Swiss company is expected to reduce these negative impacts.
What is Capsule Coffee?
Capsule coffee is coffee wrapped in a convenient capsule packaging, so that the capsule is simply inserted into the machine and can make coffee drinks quickly. With the help of the machine, coffee can also be served in an appropriate and optimal dosage.
The idea of capsule coffee was first conceived in 1975 by a Swiss engineer named Eric Pavre. Eric came up with the idea during a visit to Italy. At that time, he wanted to show his wife that he could make a good espresso.
They also traveled to cafes to learn how good coffee is made. From that trip, Eric learned that a good espresso is a frothy espresso that contains water, air, and coffee oil. Eventually, Eric found a sealed capsule with air inside. It also makes it easier for a frothy espresso to be made.
Capsule Coffee’s Impact on the Environment
Today, coffee capsules are made of various materials, ranging from plastic, aluminum, to paper. However, these coffee capsules, especially the plastic and aluminum ones, pose a serious waste problem.
At the very least, coffee pods take about 150 to 500 years to decompose. Meanwhile, the annual use of capsule coffee reaches hundreds of thousands of tons.
It is common knowledge that plastic is difficult to decompose due to its long carbon chain. This makes plastic a waste that continues to accumulate so that it can endanger the environment.
Realizing this, companies that produce coffee capsules have started trying to make coffee capsules that are environmentally friendly. For example, Nestle launched paper coffee capsules in 2022. The goal is to make the capsules biodegradable or recyclable so that they don’t end up harming the environment.
The coffee is expected to be a sustainable option and an alternative to aluminum capsule coffee. However, according to Tom Godfrey of the Choice Institute, the eco-friendly Coffee Pods are helpful, but not the ultimate solution to the problem.
Ball-shaped Capsule Coffee Innovation
One of the innovations in capsule coffee made with the environment in mind is the CoffeeB Machine. Swiss coffee brand Migrow launched CoffeeB Machine, an innovative spherical coffee capsule.
From the outside, the capsule coffee is the size of a brownish ping pong ball. At first glance, it looks like a chocolate ball candy which is actually a coffee capsule.
This innovation is expected to overcome the environmental problems caused by coffee capsules in general. The company points out that coffee capsules generate up to 100,000 tons of waste annually. This is what led Migrow to innovate the coffee ball.
They strive to make sure that coffee capsules and machines don’t always end up in the trash. This is because, although some capsule coffees already carry the concept of being environmentally friendly by recycling, it still cannot run optimally.
Maintaining the authenticity of the coffee flavor, these coffee balls were launched in eight different blends, ranging from lungo, ristretto, to espresso.
The capsule coffee produces no waste at all or zero waste. This is because this coffee ball is coated with a membrane of flavorless seaweed. This makes the remaining coffee grounds easy to dispose of and can even be composted.
It works the same way as regular capsule coffee. The coffee ball is put into the CoffeB Machine. After that, the coffee ball will be processed by the machine until it produces coffee that is ready to drink.
Coffee lovers do not have to worry about the impact of this coffee ball. There is no aluminum and plastic that would make it difficult to decompose.
The price of this CoffeeB Machine is $175. A pack of nine coffee balls costs $5. However, it is only available in Switzerland, France, and Liechtenstein. Currently, the machine is not ready to be shipped internationally to other countries.
Conclusion
The innovation of spherical coffee capsules aims to overcome environmental problems caused by the waste of coffee capsules made from plastic in general. By using environmentally friendly materials, such as seaweed, the coffee ball is designed to be biodegradable so that it can be utilized for composting.
Currently, the innovation has only been introduced in the countries of Switzerland and France. In 2023, this innovation is planned to be launched in Germany.
Are you a coffee lover? It’s time to visit the KopiKita platform to find coffee from various regions in Indonesia at the best price.
