MILAN - From the coffee bean to the rice grain, to help those in greatest need and to protect the environment.
This is the sense of Nespresso's commitment alongside Banco Alimentare della Lombardia and Banco Alimentare del Lazio through the 'From Chicco to Chicco' program, active in Italy for the collection and recycling of used capsules.
In 2020 Nespresso managed to donate 630 quintals of rice to the two associations, the equivalent of 700,000 dishes.
Since its activation in 2011, thanks to the collaboration between Nespresso, CIAL, Utilitalia and the CIC (Italian Composting Consortium), 'Da Chicco a Chicco' has made it possible to donate over 3,400,000 rice dishes to Banco Alimentare della Lombardia, to which add the more than 220,000 dishes offered at Banco Alimentare del Lazio.
A milestone achieved also thanks to Nespresso consumers, who took part in the circular economy project by returning the used capsules to 118 collection points distributed in 71 cities throughout the country.
"'From Chicco to Chicco' over the years has allowed us to achieve important results, tripling rice donations - commented Marta Schiraldi, Technical and Quality Director of Nespresso Italiana -. This circular economy program represents a responsible approach to used capsules of coffee not only from an environmental point of view, through the recovery of the two materials of which the capsules are made, but also socially, because each package of rice produced and donated by Nespresso to Banco Alimentare della Lombardia and Banco Alimentare del Lazio is transformed into concrete help for people in difficulty ".
The program allows the used coffee capsules to be recovered and destined for a second life, recycling the aluminum and residual coffee.
The aluminum is recycled, while the coffee is transformed into compost and used for a rice paddy in Italy.
The cultivated rice is then purchased by Nespresso and donated to Banco Alimentare della Lombardia and Banco Alimentare del Lazio, which in turn distribute it to those in difficulty through the charitable structures of the territories.
A donation that is even more significant in the year of the crisis due to Covid.
"Thanks to the 'From Chicco to Chicco' program we are able to take advantage of a donation of rice which, in our solidarity chain, is extremely precious because, creating few surpluses, it is a food that is difficult to recover in the agri-food chain - declared Anna Clerici, Manager Communication and Fundraising Banco Alimentare della Lombardia - Today Banco Alimentare in Lombardia must respond to an increase in requests for help which are expected to exceed 40% in the coming months, due to the Covid19 emergency ".
Today "we are reaping the fruits of our collaboration, which allows us to support the charitable structures that we support and to therefore donate an important food product such as rice to those in the Region in need, even more so in this difficult time of emergency", he said , Matteo Fanelli, Director of Banco Alimentare del Lazio.
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