We facilitate coffee capsule recycling and turn waste into new resources.
We want to make coffee capsule recycling accessible to everyone and use waste as a new upcycling resource by making people aware of the impact of their choices.
Why recycle coffee capsules?
The main problem preventing the correct recycling of coffee capsules is the inability to separate the different components at an industrial level: the aluminum part, 100% recyclable itself, is not separated from the coffee grounds, resulting in a mix that is not supported by recycling centers and, so far, capsule collection programs are not effective enough to fully solve this problem.
The simple action of separating aluminum and plastic packaging from coffee grounds and disposing them in the appropriate boxes makes the single components recyclable and reusable, maintaining circularity and giving them a second life.
About one third of the 48 billion+ units of coffee capsules that enter the market each year, predominantly in Europe and North America, is made of aluminum. This trend is growing rapidly. This number of capsules results in about 576,000 tons of produced waste, only a fraction of which is recycled. Most of it undergoes waste-to-energy and landfill disposal. Here, an aluminum capsule takes up to 500 years to decompose (a plastic bottle takes about 400!).
Re-fè provides coffee lovers the tools to reduce their environmental impact and foster circular economy. Re-fè is a solution to a growing problem in a consolidated market such as that of coffee capsules.
Marinello S., Balugani E., Gamberini R. (2021).Coffee capsule impacts and recovery techniques: A literature review. Packaging Technology and Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Coffee Capsule Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth And Change To 2030, The Business Research Company, September 2021.
Every year 576,000,000Kg of coffee capsules waste is produced, equivalent to the weight of 60,000 trucks.
What we believe in, our values.
Design and innovation
We value products and services that meet people's utilitarian and aesthetic needs while being environmentally and socially responsible.
Local production
We control the entire production chain. In this way we ensure respect for employees and partners and transparency to the public.
Respect for the environment
Love for the environment means love for ourselves. We design by evaluating the environmental impact of Re-fè actions and products.
Education
We make people more autonomous and aware in assessing their impact on the environment, themselves and on future generations.
Circularity
We limit the environmental impact of our production cycle by minimizing waste and giving new life to waste.
2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we are pursuing for an even greater, global goal.
The SDGs are a set of 17 interconnected goals defined by the United Nations as a strategy “to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” Through the products and services we offer to the public, every day we are committed to the pursuit of three of these goals.
Our Partners
We team up with people that combine expertise for a future that focuses on environment and circularity.