RE:CYCLE
Coffee maker Nespresso partnered with Swedish lifestyle bike brand Vélosophy to build a gorgeous bicycle made from recycled aluminum coffee capsules. This creative partnership demonstrates how Nespresso’s aluminum pods can be re-purposed in beautiful fashion.
The details of the RE:CYCLE are very clever and pay homage to the aluminum coffee capsules used to construct the bike’s frame. The bike’s color is inspired by Nespresso’s arpeggio coffee capsule. The bike’s basket also features two cup holders and the bell is designed to reflect the shape of the coffee pod.
Vélosophy makes for a logical partner in promoting recycling, sustainability and social impact, as the bike brand utilizes recycled aluminum for all of its frames. Vélosophy also fulfills a one for one model of bike donations. The program supports young schoolgirls in developing countries by donating one bike for every bike sold.
It’s great to see Velosophy’s bike reusing the aluminum coffee pods and bringing attention to how they can be recycled. There are still many challenges associated with recycling the pods, including the energy and resources required to recycle them and actually getting consumers to not throw them in the trash. Even the former CEO of Nespresso has concerns about the impact of the pods. There are also potentially more ideal solutions like moving a way from single use packaging altogether.
However, Nespresso is trying to make it as easy as possible for consumers to recycle their pods with an impressive number of recycling collection points and simple instructions. Partnerships like the RE:CYCLE bicycle bring further attention to recycling and highlight what is possible. And it’s pretty tough to not be a fan of a bike this beautiful.
Images via Vélosophy
