Nespresso Expands Curbside Aluminum Recycling in Westchester County

Westchester residents can now recycle small aluminum materials, such as Nespresso capsules, at home in their curbside recycling bin, through a collaboration between Nespresso, Westchester County, and the Glass Packaging Institute.

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nespresso, the pioneer and reference for premium portioned coffee, today announced a significant investment in recycling infrastructure for Westchester County's Refuse Disposal District. Effective immediately, all 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."

A Broader Commitment to a Circular Economy
This initiative in Westchester is the latest in Nespresso's long-standing effort to increase the recycling of its aluminum capsules. The program builds on the success of similar curbside programs the company has supported in New York City and Jersey City, retail drop-off partnerships, and dedicated At Home Pickup recycling services launched in select cities.

Our commitment extends beyond our capsules. One of the ways we help boost the circular economy is through including the demand of recycled material in our capsules. The other is helping develop and fund systems that sort materials, which are not being sorted broadly today. All Nespresso Original capsules are made from 80% recycled aluminum, and 88% of Nespresso Vertuo capsules are made of 85% recycled aluminum content. This is part of a global effort to continuously expand convenient and accessible recycling options for customers everywhere.

Additional Recycling Options
Nespresso consumers across the U.S. have multiple options to conveniently recycle their used coffee capsules. In addition to growing curbside and At Home Pickup options, Nespresso coffee drinkers can bring their used capsules to over 100,000 collection points nation-wide, including Nespresso boutiques and select retailers, or use a pre-paid mailer to send them back to Nespresso recycling partners at no cost.

For information on local recycling guidelines, check out details from the Recycle Coach.

About Nespresso  
Nespresso 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 165,000 farmers in 18 countries through its Nespresso Sustainable Quality Plan 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 7,900 purpose-led businesses that meet B Corp's high standards of social and environmental responsibility and transparency.

Headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nespresso operates in 93 markets and has 14'000 employees. In 2023, it operated a global retail network of 791 boutiques. For more information, visit the Nespresso corporate website: www.nestle-nespresso.com.

About Westchester County
Westchester County, located in the heart of the historic Hudson Valley, covers 500 square miles and has a population of just over 1 million. Originally home to Native Americans of the Lenape tribe, it is now a rich mix of diverse cultures and landscapes. The County is a blend of bustling cities, quaint villages, and picturesque towns, as well as open spaces and a network of beautiful parks. Westchester is made up of six cities, 19 towns, and 20 villages. The County is known for its top-notch public schools and high quality of life. It is also an intellectual capital, boasting a highly educated workforce, competitive colleges and universities, Fortune 500 companies, world-changing nonprofits, and cutting-edge research centers. Westchester is led by County Executive Kenneth W. Jenkins, who took office in January 2025 as the tenth County Executive. Focusing on innovation, Jenkins is leveraging technology and fostering business growth to position Westchester as a dynamic and inclusive destination where everyone can thrive. Learn more about Westchester County by visiting www.westchestercountyny.gov.

The Refuse Disposal District is managed by the Department of Environmental Facilities, and provides recycling and refuse disposal for 36 municipalities, encompassing 90% of the County's 1 million residents. The District oversees three solid waste transfer stations, a recycling transfer yard, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), a Household Material Recovery Facility (H-MRF) for hard to dispose of waste, a Compost & Education Facility (CompostED), and operates various recycling programs. DEF endeavors to provide innovative recycling programs by using the latest technology and partnering with organizations committed to the environment. Additional details on these programs may be found at environment.westchestercountyny.gov.

About Glass Packaging Institute
Founded in 1919 as the Glass Container Association of America, the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) is the trade association representing the North American glass container industry. On behalf of glass container manufacturers, glass recyclers, and their supply chain partners, GPI promotes glass as the optimal packaging choice, advances environmental and recycling policies, advocates industry standards, and educates packaging professionals. GPI recently created the Small Format Coalition (SFC) to boost cullet quality and recovery of non-glass packaging by elevating the sorting and acceptance of small format packaging in municipal and operational systems through strategic investments, end-market development, and cross-sector collaboration. GPI and the SFC are working to achieve this by implementing scalable solutions to recover small format packaging (metal, plastic, and paper) from commingled glass streams across the country. To learn more, visit www.gpi.org or www.smallformatcoalition.org. 

Contact
Rose Montag
Nespresso USA
[email protected]

SOURCE Nespresso