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Environmental consciousness has increasingly become a buzzword over the years especially with a lot of scientists sounding the alarm over how human activity is accelerating the effects of climate change on the planet. It’s not just about hotter summers or shorter winters anymore because these changes can reach a point that will cause a cascade of effects that can drastically change the seasons and the way we live our lives.
In short, any catastrophic change in the climate can threaten the very existence of modern civilization. It’s not that humanity itself may be wiped out directly but if resource shortage and famine occurs in enough places all over the world, conflicts between nations will become more likely and with the existence of nuclear weapons, desperate leaders might make the insane decision of utilizing nukes and THAT would more than likely spell the end of human civilization.
Which is why consumers have become more picky about patronizing certain products and have become more conscious about choosing companies that are on board with helping save the planet. And more and more companies are happy to oblige. While some corporate responses are just fluff, some companies actually have a meaningful impact.
One of these is coffee firm Nespresso which has joined forces with Swedish bicycle manufacturer Vélosophy to produce a bike made out of 300 recycled coffee pods, said a statement from the company.
Coffee pods have become increasingly popular but they have also drawn criticism because the single-use pods create a lot of waste. However, Nespresso says that their pods are fully recyclable because they are made from aluminum. Normal plants can’t recycle them but Nespresso itself can recycle their used pods. Other coffee pod brands can’t be recycled because of the plastic contained in their pods.
Nespresso hopes to encourage users to participate in the pod recycling scheme with the bicycle project.
Jean-Marc Duvoisin, Nespresso CEO Nespresso, said in a statement, “Through our collaboration with Vélosophy, we’re illustrating to coffee lovers the potential of recycling their aluminum Nespresso capsules. By using recycled capsules to make beautiful bicycles, Vélosophy brings sustainability and style together to create a truly meaningful experience, bringing to life the importance of recycling.”
The bright purple color of Nespresso’s “Arpeggio” coffee pod provided inspiration for the bike’s color scheme and also features a cup-holder basket and a pod-shaped bell.
“We are proud to have co-created a bike that takes on the future,” said Jimmy Östholm, CEO and Founder of Vélosophy. “It is beautifully designed, responsibly sourced and sustainably produced.”
The collaborative effort has produced 1,000 limited-edition bikes and the RE:CYCLE model retails for 1,290 euros ($1,443).
A portion of the proceeds from each sale will go to “a schoolgirl in Africa to improve her access to education,” according to a statement.