On your bike with Nespresso!

It’s official.

Nespresso knows no bounds when it comes to turning its contentious aluminium pods into useful things. We’ve seen a pocket knife and a pen but now the brand has made a whole bike.

Swedish lifestyle bike brand, Vélosophy has helped created the Limited-Edition bicycle made mostly from recycled Nespresso aluminium capsules.

The Vélosophy RE:CYCLE bike is based on its classic model and will be available in bright purple to pay homage to the popular Arpeggio coffee. It has a capsule-shaped bell and cup-holder basket, allowing the cyclist to take a swig on the go.

Seriously though this may just be a bike, but the underlying issue is important. Aluminium is an easy target for recycling critics, the production of the product uses a stack of energy. Plus, literally millions of these pods can easily end up in landfill if people don’t make an effort.

Nespresso does have a wide-ranging scheme to encourage the return of discarded pods, which we at home now take part in. Aluminium is used because it’s the best material for the product, especially in terms of freshness. 

But you can’t just throw them away in the normal recycling bin. There are four ways to get rid of them via a national recycling program.

• A bulk recycling collection initiative at participating outlets, like my local chemist for example.
• Returning capsules to a Nespresso Boutique.
• Dropping capsules off at a participating florist
• Or posting used capsules back to Nespresso using a special Australia Post satchel available to order from Nespresso Boutiques or at www.nespresso.com.au.

Jimmy Östholm, CEO and Founder of Vélosophy said: “We created Vélosophy with a clear purpose –to have a positive impact on the world. I see in Nespresso a strong commitment to sustainability, which is why this has been the dream partnership. We are proud to have co-created a bike that takes on the future. It is beautifully designed, responsibly sourced and sustainably produced.

Vélosophy is the only bicycle brand in the world with a full one-for-one promise: for every bike they sell or rent out, another is given to a schoolgirl in Africa to improve her access to education. Bicycles are one of the single most important factors in giving schoolgirls access to education. When girls have their own bikes, their attendance increases by 30% and grades increase by close to 60%**.”

Jeff Wong, Marketing & Communications Manager Nespresso Australia & Oceania said: “Vélosophy and Nespresso are like-minded brands who both develop innovative products with future generations in mind. Through our collaboration, we’re illustrating to coffee lovers the potential of recycling aluminium Nespresso capsules. We hope it inspires more recycling, to give every aluminium coffee capsule a second life.”

1,000 bikes will be available from 12 August exclusively from Vélosophy’s website https://velosophy.cc/ priced at RRP €1,290 or 13,600 SEK.