The Recycling Alliance for Small Aluminium Packaging (re-alu) is calling for coffee capsules to be collected alongside other household packaging across Europe following the application of new EU packaging rules.

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) enters into application today, marking a significant change in how coffee capsules are classified and managed across Europe. Until now, coffee capsules were considered product rather than packaging. As a result, they were not required to be covered by packaging collection, recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems across the European Union.

Despite this gap, coffee capsule producers have worked with Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), municipalities and waste-management operators to establish voluntary collection and recycling systems in several European countries.

From 12 August 2026, coffee and beverage system single-serve units disposed of together with their contents are defined as packaging under the PPWR. They must therefore be integrated into national packaging-waste management systems.

re-alu is calling on member states, PROs and municipalities to ensure that aluminium coffee capsules are accepted in household collection systems, supported by clear consumer sorting instructions, effectively recovered at sorting plants and sent to appropriate recycling facilities.

Companies placing coffee capsules on the market will contribute to their waste-management costs through EPR fees. re-alu said these fees should be fair, transparent and sufficient to finance effective collection, sorting and recycling, including the investments needed to recover small aluminium packaging.

Aluminium coffee capsules are already recyclable and are currently recycled in several European countries. Recycling capacity is available, and aluminium can be recycled repeatedly without losing its material properties. According to re-alu, the main challenge is ensuring that used capsules are properly collected and separated during sorting.

“Some European countries are already successfully collecting, sorting and recycling aluminium coffee capsules showing it is very feasible to be included in the household packaging collection. Therefore, several other national schemes which still need to make significant progress can benefit from those front-runners. We believe that fair and sufficient EPR fees must play an essential role in financing the infrastructure and systems needed to support this transition across Europe,” said Michel Steinecke, Manager Recycling Projects at re-alu.

“We expect that the correct and timely implementation of the PPWR will improve recycling rates for coffee capsules and other small aluminium packaging. The alliance with its members from the value chain is ready to support member states, PROs, municipalities and waste-management organisations with technical information and expertise.”