Nestlé has unveiled a “next generation” coffee machine with paper-based compostable pods under its Nescafé Dolce Gusto brand.
Billed as a “coffee shop at home”, the new Neo system tailors its brewing method to different recipes and preferences.
In addition to the standard Espresso, Ristretto and Lungo styles, it can make an Americano and drip-style coffees intended to serve several people.
The pods comprise layers of paper sealed with a cellulose material, which makes them more resistant to heat and moisture, but also allows them to degrade in home compost over six months.
Each pod lid is printed with a minuscule code relating to a specific style of coffee, which is read by the machine to determine the brewing method.
The coffees are also customisable. By connecting their coffee machine to an app, consumers can change the temperature and cup size of their coffee and save their preferences.
The app is connected to a loyalty programme, which rewards shoppers for making coffee with points that can be cashed in for pods. It also notifies users when there is a defect with their machine and how to fix it.
Nestlé will launch Neo and its accompanying range in Brazil on 1 December, with a view to rolling it out in additional markets in 2023.
Head of Nescafé Dolce Gusto Arnaud Deschamps said the new system would help shoppers avoid the “waste guilt” associated with traditional coffee pods.
Its launch formed part of Nestlé’s commitment to reduce its use of virgin plastics by one-third by 2025, he added.
In the UK, Nestlé runs a Podback recycling scheme for its Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Nespresso pods, which are not accepted in standard kerbside recycling.
The scheme enables shoppers to post back their pods for recycling and offers kerbside collection in seven English councils.
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