Coffee in capsules is conquering an increasingly large segment of people, precisely because of its great convenience. Sales of this format have reportedly reached the stratospheric figure of 10 billion worldwide, an impressive number that shows how coffee capsules are slowly gaining ground compared to other formats in which this beverage is available.
The big problem with their spread, however, is summed up in a question that many people ask themselves, but to which few know the answer: how to recycle coffee capsules? Many people are in fact mistakenly convinced that they are disposable products, while others still do not know where to throw them away.
But what if it is not only possible to recycle coffee capsules, but even to use them for creative purposes? We, who know a thing or two about coffee, have come up with several ways to recycle capsules, some of which will leave you speechless. Read on to discover them all!
Refill them with coffee
As strange as this first solution may seem to you, it is in fact one of the best ways to reuse coffee capsules. Once you have completely emptied the capsules and cleaned them of any residue, simply refill them with coffee powder and cover them with thin aluminium foil. In no time at all, you will have brand new capsules, as if you had just bought them!
Seedling pots
A particularly creative and really beautiful recycling solution is to turn coffee capsules into original pots for plants, especially succulents. These species, which are easy to care for, survive very well even inside small pots – even those the size of a coffee capsule!
Without neglecting the fact that reusing capsules in this way is really simple, as you simply fill them with soil and place a small cactus inside.
For a truly ad hoc result, the ideal would be to obtain a plywood base, inside which you can drill holes that will ‘house’ the various pots. And in no time at all, you will have in your hands a beautiful gift, perfect for any occasion, which will win over the lucky recipient thanks to its originality!
Using them to create jewellery
Have you ever thought about the possibility of wearing coffee capsules? Believe it or not, in fact, with the appropriate treatments it is possible to transform them into elegant and fancy jewellery: necklaces, bracelets and even earrings! To make them, all you have to do is unleash your imagination and combine it with a pinch of manual dexterity.
First of all, you will have to flatten the capsules with the help of a hammer, so as to obtain a sort of ‘crumpled’ shape. Once this is done, you will have to pierce them in two places with the help of a needle, thus creating the necessary space for the thread to pass through. In no time at all, you will have obtained a very original necklace that everyone will envy you!
The same procedure must obviously be followed if you prefer a bracelet, while for the earrings, you will obviously have to get the hooks for your ears separately.
Doing handicrafts
If you are a DIY enthusiast, coffee capsules can turn into very useful allies. Thanks to their concave shape, they also serve as excellent stencils, which you are free to use as you see fit. You could, for example, fill them with tempera colours, thus counting on practical and ecological containers to use while painting.
Or, alternatively, you could use them to store all those small objects that you never know where to put, to avoid losing them: buttons, toothpicks, even pills! Again, it all depends on your personal creativity.
Using them to make decorations
Flattening coffee capsules to obtain the aforementioned crumpled shape will not only be useful for making jewellery, but also simple and innovative home decorations. You can, for example, use the coffee capsules to cover a simple shoebox and get a real treasure chest in return!
Using the same process, you can create original hangers that are also great for the Christmas tree, colourful key rings or, more simply, imaginative knick-knacks to put on display. The truth, in fact, is that the creative potential of coffee capsules is truly infinite and, if the idea of exploiting it amuses you, you can give life to beautiful and imaginative DIY projects!
Simply throw them away but in the right way
If you hate DIY and it is not your style at all, there is nothing to stop you from throwing away coffee capsules, as long as you do it correctly and respect their composition.
For the plastic ones, in fact, you must first remove the aluminium tab and throw it in the appropriate bin. The rest of the capsule, on the other hand, should be disposed of in plastic, in the name of environmentally friendly and ecological collection.
Ideally, aluminium coffee capsules should be used directly, so that they can be disposed of entirely in one bin. Alternatively, you can make an extra effort and buy biodegradable capsules, the advantage of which is that you do not even have to rinse them, throwing them directly into the wet waste bin.
Conclusion
Going back to what we explained in the introduction, the fact that coffee capsules are so fashionable certainly does not imply an obligation to use them. The beauty of this beverage, after all, is precisely the fact that it is available in a multitude of different types and can be prepared both with the classic coffee maker and the more practical coffee machine.
Of coffee machines, moreover, there are many different types, and it is essential to choose the best one to ensure you get a coffee worthy of the name. After all, it is certainly no secret that if you want to drink good coffee, you should do so with the right machine, such as a lever machine.
This particular type has the merit of allowing you to savour 100% of the coffee’s aroma, while perfectly preserving all the nutrients it contains. If you don’t want to deprive yourself of this supreme pleasure, therefore, all you have to do is consult our catalogue and discover the right coffee machine for you.