Nespresso Donates 100,000 Lbs. of Compost from Coffee Grounds to City Plants LA

The coffee company's Grounds to Grow LA Project repurposes coffee grounds from recycled Nespresso capsules to support soil restoration and replanting in Los Angeles communities impacted by wildfires

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nespresso is proud to mark the next phase of its Grounds to Grow LA project with a donation of 100,000 pounds of finished compost -- which includes coffee grounds from Nespresso capsules successfully collected and recycled – to LA-based organization, City Plants LA. Following the devastating January 2025 wildfires, Nespresso aimed to leverage its presence in California and coffee as a force for good.

Throughout the fall, Nespresso encouraged California coffee drinkers to become active participants in the city's environmental recovery by recycling their used capsules of coffee at all 13 Nespresso retail boutiques across the state, including the nine in the southern California area. Compost including Nespresso coffee grounds will contribute to the restoration of soil damaged by the fires and support City Plants' mission to bring more trees to the area.

City Plants LA manages public-private partnerships that create a greener, more equitable, and climate-resilient city by planting trees. Through the Grounds to Grow project, City Plants will redistribute 100,000 pounds of compost-rich soil to residents living in wildfire-impacted communities. The compost can be used to remediate contaminated soil ahead of replanting or to save existing trees that survived the fire. It will also be used to grow new trees that will be planted as rebuilding efforts continue. City Plants expects to distribute more than 8,500 trees to residents in Los Angeles and additional trees to residents impacted outside of the city.

This initiative is part of Nespresso's commitment to make recycling simple and accessible for consumers nationwide. The company works with its longtime commercial recycling and composting partner, AgChoice, to process coffee grounds collected from Nespresso boutiques or through their mail-back program. Beyond the grounds being used to create compost to restore soil health, the aluminum from capsules is separated for reuse, creating new products like pens, bicycles, and cars.

"Compost isn't just soil—it's a foundation for growth," said Carlos Campero, City Plants Executive Director. "This partnership came at the apt time as our team had been assessing soil health, considering how to best revitalize burn areas in Eaton Canyon and Palisades communities, and provide compost to till into existing tree wells as we water. This milestone of 100,000 pounds of recycled coffee ground compost is a testament to what our greater California community can achieve when we come together with shared purpose."

"Grounds to Grow LA illustrates the power of collaboration between our employees, customers, and partners to address urgent environmental challenges," said Amy Uong, Senior Recycling Manager at Nespresso USA. "Thank you to all the Nespresso coffee drinkers who contributed to this initiative and continue to recycle their capsules every day. We're proud to play a small role in supporting the Los Angeles community and hope to continue to grow our recycling participation in the state moving forward."

LA residents interested in picking up compost to help improve their soil can find adoptions events listed on the City Plants LA website or by contacting the organization at https://www.cityplants.org/.

Consumers can continue to participate in Nespresso's recycling initiatives by returning used capsules to their local boutiques or exploring the mail-back program.

For more information about Nespresso's recycling program and the Grounds to Grow LA project, visit https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/recycling.

About Nestlé Nespresso SA 
Nestlé Nespresso SA is a pioneer and is widely regarded as one of the top references in the field of high-quality portioned coffee. The company works with more than 168,550 farmers in 18 countries through its AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program to embed sustainability practices on farms and the surrounding landscapes. Launched in 2003 in collaboration with the NGO Rainforest Alliance, the program helps to improve the yield and quality of harvests, ensuring a sustainable supply of high-quality coffee and improving livelihoods of farmers and their communities.

In 2022, Nespresso achieved B Corp™ certification – joining an international movement of over 9,700 purpose-led businesses that meet B Corp's high standards of social and environmental responsibility and transparency.

Headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nespresso operates in 96 markets and has over 14'000 employees. In 2024, it operated a global retail network of 818 boutiques. For more information, visit the Nespresso corporate website: www.nestle-nespresso.com.

About City Plants LA
City Plants is a nonprofit agency working with city, state, and federal partners to grow a greener future for Los Angeles. At City Plants, we envision a Los Angeles in which people in every neighborhood have equal access to trees and their benefits: clean air, energy efficiency, better health, cooling shade, and friendlier, more vibrant communities. Our mission is to grow a greener future for Los Angeles by engaging Angeleños to plant and care for trees throughout the City.

Media Contacts:
Rose Montag
Nespresso USA
[email protected]

Weber Shandwick
[email protected]

SOURCE Nespresso