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Sustainable consumer product startupNexe创新is launching a compostable plant-based coffee pod in the US and Canada.
该公司透露，自2013年成立以来，它一直使用3D打印技术来进行原型设计，理由是快速设计，缺乏工具和大大减少材料废物作为决定的关键因素。现在已经开发了八年的第二个产品，可与Nespressomachines, the firm hopes to fulfill its vision of replacing single-use plastic products with environmentally-friendly counterparts.
The espresso blend found in the Nexe Pod comprises fair-trade coffee beans grown in Ethiopia, Peru, and Indonesia.
The problem with coffee pods
尽管如此，咖啡胶囊并不是什么都很好。根据咖啡舱制造商的说法光环2018年，大约有590亿咖啡豆荚制造，预计有560亿杯将在垃圾填埋场最终产生。由于单链胶囊倾向于由聚合物或铝制成（或两者的混合物），因此他们最多需要500年的时间才能自然分解。
为了解决这个问题，NestleandJacobs Douwe Egbertslaunched a joint coffee pod recycling scheme in the UK back in April 2021 –Podback。该计划旨在为客户提供回收豆荚的简单方法，并在全国当地商店中拥有6500多个podback降落点。制造商喜欢伊利and双人还在引入可回收和可堆肥的POD产品中发挥自己的作用。
The Nexe Pod
据报道，作为可堆肥舞台上的最新挑战者之一，据报道，Nexe Pod经过了五年的科学支持测试。根据Nexe Innovations的数据，一项独立的堆肥研究表明，其新的咖啡豆荚中约有90％在一个月内破裂。
The reason this isn’t 100% is probably to do with the fact that they aren’t completely plant-based, as the Nexe Pod is actually made of a blend of polylactic acid (PLA) and bamboo fiber, along with several other compostable ingredients.
PLA is one of the most commonly used polymers in 3D printing, known for its ease of use and low cost. The material is indeed biodegradable but requires both high heat and a microbe-rich environment to break down. As these conditions aren’t that common in nature, an industrial composting plant will still need to be used tokeep the Nexe Pods in the circular economy。
However, the material choice does lend itself quite well to FDM 3D printing, meaning Nexe Innovations is able to prototype novel pods to its heart’s content. The company has previously stated that bringing prototyping in-house with an FDM print farm has slashed lead times, significantly cut waste and emissions, and completely eliminated shipping costs from third-party manufacturers. When it comes to series production, Nexe Innovations still uses conventional manufacturing techniques such as injection molding and thermoforming due to their higher throughput potential.
The circular economy has been a hot topic in 3D printing as of late, with companies and research institutions touting sustainable manufacturing practices and reusable materials. In the academic sphere, researchers from the German联邦材料研究与测试研究所最近开发了可持续的新3D printing material out of termite and boring insect refuse。通过升级虫子留下的粉末状木颗粒和粪便，科学家能够制定独特的循环经济原料，可以是粘合剂喷气机3D，而无需任何聚合物添加剂
Elsewhere, engineers at the Canadian麦吉尔大学andRyerson University最近变成了危害环境的风可鄙的人ine waste into a robust fiber-reinforced PLA 3D printing material.
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Featured image shows the compostable Nexe Pod. Photo via Nexe Innovations.
