Compostable and reusable coffee pods: What you need to know

Reuseable coffee pods are exactly what they say on the tin, or on the stainless steel. These empty pods are made of plastic or stainless steel which you can fill with coffee grounds of your choice, and pop into your machine just like disposable ones. Rather than dumping them in the bin afterwards, you can tap out the coffee grounds, chuck them in the dishwasher, and start again. 

It is a pretty simple concept that straddles the line between manual espresso machines and pod machines. Like a manual machine you'll get to pick your coffee, and grind and tamp down your beans, but you won't have to worry about extraction. That's for the well-oiled pod coffee machine to handle. Admittedly this means you'll need to put in more effort than you would with regular pods, but you can always prep a bunch at the same time. 

Ideally you'll want to opt for stainless steel pods over plastic. Not only is steel better for the environment, but it also holds up better to heat and moisture over time. Provided you don't bend or warp them, stainless steel coffee pods should last you decades. They'll probably outlive your coffee machine. These are more expensive than the plastic counterparts however - you're looking at around $45 for three stainless steel pods, or $20 for six plastic ones.

Regardless which way you go, your overall coffee spend will probably end up being less in the long run. On average a coffee pod will set you back $0.80, whereas buying coffee beans brings that price cdown to around $0.45 per coffee. Assuming you have two coffees per day, over the course of a year you'd spend $582.40 on premade coffee pods, or $327.60 on coffee beans. That means you'd have to spend over $250 on reusable pods each year to come up to the disposable coffee spend. Sure you may crack that for the initial outlay, but you won't have to pay it again.

You can get reusable coffee pods for pretty much every pod coffee machine out there. Classic Nespresso pods are the most popular, but there are pods available for Nespresso Vertuo, Aldi Expressi, Dolce Gusto, L'or, Lavazza, and Caffitaly. Compatibility can vary depending on the machine - especially with Vertuo pods - so be sure to double check the listing.

Here are some of our top picks.

If you're looking for a pod option that is better for the environment, but doesn't compromise the convinience of capsule coffee then compostable pods are a good pivot. The pods are what you're used to, but the packaging is made out of plant-based materials that can break down under the right conditions.

The upshot of these is that you'll hardly need to change your coffee routine at all. It will still be as easy as grabbing one out of the packet, popping it in the machine, and pressing a button. The downside is that there are only a few that are able to be composted at home.

You'll need to loook for pods that have been certified by the Australian Bioplastics association, with an AS 5810 certification. This confirms that the capsules are made of plant-based materials and don't need commercial compost in order to break down. If you can find these pods you can just chuck them in your garden or compost bin and they'll break down adding nutrients like nitrogen that fruiting and root plans love.

Compostable pods vary when it comes to pricing. Some can be as cheap as $0.50 per pod, while others are closer to $0.80. You can definitley find pods that are better value than what you can get at Nespresso, but it may take some hunting.

For the most part, compostable coffee pods are only available for classic Nespresso machines. While there may be limited options for other brands like Dolce Gusto, and L'or, these are difficult to come by. If you're keen on reducing your coffee footprint with other machines then reusable pods are a better bet.

Here are some of our top picks for Nespresso pods.

If subbing out your pods isn't a viable option but you still want to try and be more sustainable, it is worth looking into your pod machine's recycling program. Most companies acknowledge the environmental impact of capsules and have initiatives in place minimise it. 

Nespresso's recycling program deals with both the coffee itself, and the alluminium of the pods. The coffee grounds are reused into compost in Australia, while overseas they're being put into renewable energy sources like biofuel.

The alluminium is used to go back into new Nespresso pods, but has also been used in a range of other products. You can find Nespresso alluminium in products like bikes, swiss army knives, veggie peelers, and even designer watches.

There are three main ways Nespresso customers can recycle their pods;

• Instore at any Nespresso boutique
• At a collection point
• Mailed through Australia Post

Dropping them off at a Nespresso store, or a collection point is entirely free, but if you want to mail them in you'll cop a fee. Australia Post and Nespresso do subsidise shipping, but you'll need to buy a Recycling Satchel from $5 which can hold up to 180 capsules. The fee does include shipping.

While Aldi coffee has had successful recycling programs in the past, they are currently unavailable. If you want to recycle your Expressi pods you'll need to thoroughly clean them, and even then it isn't guaranteed that your local recycling centre will take them. It is best to check with your local authorities to see the best course of action.

Similar to Nespresso, Dolce Gusto lets you send in old pods to be reused.

You'll need to sign up to the TerraCycle account to join the Dolce Gusto program. From here you collect your used capsules before sending them off through Australia Post, or dropping at a collection hub. If you choose to mail them in you'll be able to access a free prepaid shipping label through your RerraCycle account.

From here the capsules are cleaned an melted down into a hard plastic which is used for a range of new products.

Lavazza also uses TerraCycle for its recycling program, so the process of recycling these pods is the same as Dolce Gusto.

When you sign up to your TerraCycle account,  join the Lavazza program. Once you have collected 7kg+ pods you can get your free shipping label and ship it off through Australia Post. No need to clean them, just squeeze out any excess moisture.

From here the capsules are cleaned an melted down into a hard plastic which is used for a range of new products.