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Updated: Victorinox Introduces Nespresso Pioneer Made of Recycled Coffee Capsules

June 5, 2017

June 5, 2017 Update: Victorinox just announced a Limited Edition Nespresso Pioneer in bronze for North American customers – available now but limited to 750 pieces

August 31, 2016
A collaboration between Victorinox and Nespresso is putting hundreds of thousands of Nespresso coffee capsules into Victorinox customers’ pockets instead of landfills. The news broke when the company recently introduced a limited edition, deep purple version of their Pioneer with a surprising ingredient. The alox scales of each knife are made of the aluminum extracted from 24 recycled Nespresso coffee capsules.

Both Victorinox and Nespresso are based in Switzerland, but the partnership is inspired by more than just proximity. “Sustainably-sourced and produced products are at the heart of the Victorinox business model,” says Renee Hourigan, North American Director of Marketing for Victorinox. The company is an environmental pioneer in the cutlery world, recycling 600 tons of steel from its grinding sludge every year, equivalent to 25% of the steel it uses annually.

The Nespresso capsules were melted down, cast, and then subjected to rigorous in-house testing by Victorinox to ensure that it was up to the production and design standards of its regular alox alloy.

Nespresso Pioneer

North American collectors will have to turn to eBay or other channels if they want to pick up one of the 11,650 Nespresso Pioneers. This edition is only available for sale in Switzerland, but it may not be the last Swiss Army Knife we see made from recycled material. Victorinox is open to future collaborations with companies willing to put in the time and materials. “We are always interested in speaking to like-minded brands who want to collaborate in this manner,” says Hourigan.

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The partnership was undertaken to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Nespresso’s capsule recycling program. Ever since Nespresso instituted sites for customers to recycle used capsules, the program has spread across Switzerland and into other geographies. Nespresso’s environmental leadership comes in stark contrast to Keurig’s reactive approach. The company’s K-Cup coffee pods were recently banned in Hamburg, Germany, with sales in North America slumping. Keurig’s promise to make 100% of its’ pods recycleable by 2020 is ‘too little, too late’ for many households that want to enjoy guilt-free coffee in the morning.

Knife featured in image: Victorinox Nespresso Pioneer Swiss Army Knife

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