George Don't Waste Your Charm on Pods!

Dear George Clooney

We ask you to say No to the coffee pod and use your charm for good, NOT pod waste.

We know you're a talented actor and director, and very committed to social justice through the Not On Our Watch Project and others. Some of us even cheered for you when you were arrested for civil disobedience outside the Sudanese Embassy!

So WHY George, would you use your star-status and charm to promote the use of pod/capsule coffee and "almost single-handedly launch an entire new waste stream globally as a result of fronting the Nespresso adverts"(1)



With all due respect George, do you really want to be the poster boy for this pod waste stream?



We don’t mean to take a ‘quick shot’ at you George, but here are some facts:

1. Nespresso has sold an estimated 28 billion pods worldwide (your advertising is working). These pods would wrap around the earth 35.5 times.
2. Those pods used about 28 million Kg of aluminium, much of which is now in landfill.
3. Most capsules are made of plastic or aluminium. Aluminium is an energy-hungry product, using nine times more energy to manufacture than steel. Let’s not even start on the environmental damage plastic creates.
4. How many pods are actually being recycled?  Nespresso boasts having 20,000 collection points worldwide but have not made the actual recycling figure public - probably because it's low. In Australia, pods have to be returned to one of the 12 boutiques for recycling - not very convenient.
5. Pods can not be placed in most domestic recycling bins. They’re too small for the machines at recycling plants and simply drop into landfill.
6. Your commercials encourage people to use pods. This is increasing pod use globally. With American company Green Mountain and their K-cups, only 5% of K-cups are currently recyclable.  In 2013 they sold 8.3 billion K-cups which means 7.8 billion pods ended up in landfill. You can now buy pods at most supermarkets.
7. If as predicted, pod use doubles over the next five years, we’ll be in store for a pod Tsunami! 
8. There are many alternatives to the pod, that make great coffee and have much less environmental impact.

Nespresso boasts of its environmental sustainability, but we’re not ‘buying it’ - single shot pods and long term sustainability just don’t mix.

Please Say No to the Pod!

Read more on the dangers of pod use:

(1) http://www.smh.com.au/environment/recycling-issue-brewing-in-george-clooneys-nespresso-campaign-20140419-36xsm.html

http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/food-and-health/food-and-drink/beverages/coffee-capsules/page/convenience-vs-waste.aspx

https://theconversation.com/what-our-love-affair-with-coffee-pods-reveals-about-our-values-30068

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2014/03/coffee-k-cups-green-mountain-polystyrene-plastic?_ga=1.139643057.340359894.1408176915

http://qz.com/193138/the-worlds-growing-love-affair-with-the-most-wasteful-form-of-coffee-there-is/

http://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/waste-the-dark-side-of-the-new-coffee-craze/Content?oid=3687220&showFullText=true

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/single-serve-coffee-brewers-make-convenience-costly.html?_ga=1.212061206.340359894.1408176915&_r=0