How to Recycle Coffee Capsules

If you have a coffee machine coffee At home, you will probably have a significant amount of coffee capsules to dispose of. In addition to representing a daily cost, they are also a potential ecological disaster if not thrown in the right bin. If you are a coffee-addicted, a good idea is to recycle themLuckily, there are many ways you can give them a new life. So, instead of throwing them away, why not use them in one of the original creative recycling ideas that follow? Whether it's Christmas decorations or crafts for childrenThese seemingly useless objects destined for the garbage can be transformed into small masterpieces or reused for our well-being. Don't Waste always tries to offer its readers examples of creative recycling to reduce the amount of waste and save money by promoting a virtuous culture of reuse. And, in this regard, the plastic coffee capsules have a lot to offer. Jewelry, decorations, but also useful accessories in the kitchen: there are many uses for coffee capsules, all you have to do is choose the one(s) that are most suitable for you.

Index of topics

Chocolate molds

What can you do with empty coffee capsules?? Once emptied and washed, they can become molds for Chocolates or sweets that go in the refrigerator or freezer. Simply pour the batter into them and wait for it to solidify. Once firm, the sweets can be easily removed from the molds.

Containers for aromatic herbs

We often use the containers for making ice to freeze small quantities of food such as soffritto, stock cubes or herbsWhat if, instead of using the aforementioned containers for their original purpose, we put the ingredients in empty coffee pods? It would be much more convenient to take only the amount we need from the freezer.

Strings of light bulbs

Have you ever seen those fairy lights that have been used for years at home to decorate headboards, bedrooms, and living room walls? Well, you can also make them by recycling coffee pods:

clean the pods perfectly, dry them well
drill a hole in the bottom of each one
shine a light into each wafer

And voilà, here is a bright decorative thread ready to embellish the room.

Sprout pots

Given their small size they cannot be used as real vases, but they can be useful as starter for seeds and sprouts.

Pour a layer of soil on their bottom
Add the seeds you intend to grow
Cover with more soil and place in a bright place
Wait for the seeds to grow into seedlings
When they are large enough, plant them in a pot or in the garden.

If you have any coffee left over, add it to the soil, it's a good fertilizer!

Christmas decorations

One of the coffee capsule recycling ideas the most popular is certainly that of the Christmas decorations. In this field, the Christmas wafers They lend themselves to many creations, such as bells, garlands, tree decorations and much more.

Earrings

A very simple idea: just fold the capsule in half, securing it in the center with a bead, then open the sides to create a sort of butterfly. Insert the hook and you will have an inexpensive but fashionable pair of earrings.

Waist

I crafts with coffee capsules They are not finished yet. With the circles left over from the capsules you can get a belt Like this one. The process is incredibly simple, but the end result is worthy of the finest boutiques. The resulting accessory will be perfect for completing many outfits.

Bath bomb

How to recycle plastic coffee capsules? Another interesting idea is to make it into a bath bombsWhat is it? These are colored and effervescent tablets ready to make bath time a magical experience. Just mix baking soda, citric acid, cornstarch, almond oil and essential oils to taste, depending on the desired scent. Add some natural food coloring to make them more attractive, and pour the resulting mixture into a recycled pod. They make a great gift idea.

Table sauce holder

If you have organised a dinner with friends, instead of bringing various packages of mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup to the table, you can also decide to serve individual ones. sauces in empty, clean pods. A cute idea to pair with any dish.

Brooch

We'll close with an idea suggested by one of our readers, Tiziana Carnevale, which consists of an original "pin" for closing wedding favors made from coffee pod capsules. Tiziana's suggestion is to use, instead of the usual flower or clip, a pin made from two espresso coffee capsules of different colors, flattened and glued together. A small tin circle (made from the round part of the capsule) with a small matching bead was then inserted into the center. A pin was then glued to the back.

Where do you throw away used coffee capsules?

See all ideas with capsules If you prefer to recycle them strictly speaking, you should know that you can do so just as you would with other objects. Not all coffee capsules are the same, but most contain an average of four materials: plastic bags, aluminum, a filter of letter and coffee (i.e. organic material). How to recycle the capsules, then? To throw them away following the collection, you should separate them and throw each one in the appropriate bin.

if they are made of 100% aluminum, you can recycle them
if they are compostable, you can dispose of them through separate waste collection together with organic waste
If they are made of plastic, it is generally not possible to carry out separate waste collection as their material does not allow for recovery, they must therefore be thrown whole in the unsorted waste bin or, if possible, removed from the aluminium tab, which must be thrown in the appropriate container.

When in doubt, it is best to follow the manufacturer's instructions.

How to refill coffee capsules

Once the pod has been used, it is necessary to wash it thoroughly, remove the contents, let it dry and recharge it again. Here's what you need:

Necessary

1 used pod
Aluminum foil
Coffee powder
1 tsp

Method

To begin, take the used wafer and open the top using a pair of scissors.
Wash the pod thoroughly after emptying it and let it dry.
Fill it with ground coffee, up to the brim.
Using a small square of aluminum foil, cover the wafer, making sure it adheres to the edges.
Prepare the coffee again

How to recycle coffee capsules