Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – With the entry into force of the European Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste (PPWR) on August 12, 2026, coffee capsules are recognized as packaging and can therefore be disposed of in separate waste collection, according to the instructions of the municipality of residence or waste management company. “This is a significant change, which simplifies the process for citizens,” explains Matteo Di Poce, Sustainability Expert at Nespresso Italiana. “For several years, Nespresso has been following the evolution of recycling, with a commitment that began 15 years ago with the dedicated program 'from Chicco to Chicco', developed together with Cial with the aim of recovering aluminum coffee capsules in a context where capsules were not yet recognized as packaging.”
The new regulation opens the way to broader and more organized recycling and, consequently, greater circularity.
This approach is already a reality in Milan: thanks to the synergy between local institutions and various players in the supply chain—such as Nespresso, A2a, Amsa, and Cial, the Italian Aluminum Packaging Consortium—aluminum capsules can be intercepted and sorted through public waste collection. "Today, we're leveraging the experience we've gained over the past 15 years to support the evolution of public waste collection," adds Di Poce. "This will ensure that capsule collection and recycling can be increasingly simple and widespread throughout the region."
To gain a deeper understanding of the Milan model, launched in March this year, a guided press tour of the A2a Ambiente Muggiano plant was organized, where visitors could observe the waste treatment technologies up close.
Here, the aluminum capsules placed by citizens in the yellow bag intended for the collection of plastic and metals are subjected to a selection process that allows for the recovery of even the smallest and lightest metal fractions thanks to Ecs – Eddy Current Separator technology.
“The material arrives at the plant inside the bags used for separate plastic and metal waste collection, which also contain aluminum coffee capsules.
These, being among the smallest objects, fall through the finest holes of the rotating screen, the first machine the material encounters once it enters the plant,” explains Davide Marinzi, head of the A2A Ambiente treatment plant. “Before the installation of the new machinery, this fraction ended up in the waste destined for energy recovery. Today, thanks to the ECS eddy current separator, electromagnetic fields allow the capsules to be intercepted and separated from the flow of other materials, diverting them to a dedicated bunker. Once collected, the aluminum is pressed into bales and sent to recovery plants, typically foundries, where it can be recycled.”
The Milan model thus demonstrates how collaboration between institutions, waste managers, and companies in the supply chain can help valorize even the smallest fractions of aluminum, transforming them from waste into a resource for recycling.
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