A Nespresso espresso machine was always intriguing, especially after tasting it at Macy's...but what stopped me for so long was those darned capsules! I already had a Keurig…and loved it...but those K-cups were always a little bit of a thorn in my side! It made me feel guilty, all those little plastic cups going in the trash!

Once I went Paleo, I quit coffee for a bit because coffee without cream and sugar wasn't worth it for me. So, that's when I started drinking Ginger Lemon Tea in the mornings…which I still do, and it's amazing. But it made me do some research because I'd heard you could recycle the Nespresso capsules. It couldn't be easy though, could it?

Once I learned more, Nespresso is actually a really cool company. Not only do they encourage you to recycle the capsules, they make it easy for you. They also use those recycled aluminum capsules to make parts on their espresso machines. That's partly why I chose the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker. The side panels on my machine…the colored panels that come in different colors…are made from recycled capsules.

I also thought it might be a pain to GET the capsules because they aren't sold in stores, you have to get them from Nespresso (or another online source). I was wrong, it's really easy! They have an app and great customer service, so if you want to talk to someone you can. If you order a certain amount, the shipping is free. It arrives at your door super fast. It's actually cheaper to order directly from Nespresso than Amazon! When you place an order, you just have to tell them you want the "Recycle Bag" sent with your order. I did, and they sent me two! They have UPS pre-paid labels on them and when you've collected 200 capsules, you just seal it and send it! Simple! 200 capsules take a while to rack up too…so you don't have to deal with it often. I made it easy on myself because I also didn't want to count out 200 dirty capsules when the time came...

Here's what the bags look like...

Here's what I do…I hang the bag on a doorknob in my laundry room, which is near my kitchen. I put a post-it near it like this…every time I have 10 capsules (that's how many the reservoir in the machine holds), I dump them in the bag and make a 'tic' mark like this…when I have 20 marks = 200 - I seal it and send it off! No extra counting!

I love it…no guilt, I'm doing my part for the environment. :) AND I haven't' even mentioned how spoiled I am now with the quality of the espresso it cranks out each and every time!! My husband and I LOVE this machine. It puts the perfect "crema" on top every time! Do I sound like an espresso snob yet? :) I add raw honey instead of sugar now which tastes amazing. It's great alone, but sometimes I use a little of this coconut creamer, much healthier than the half and half I used to use...

So now I enjoy my Ginger Lemon Tea as soon as I wake, and sometime during the day I have an espresso "treat" and it is SO satisfying. Thanks Nespresso! If you're on the fence about getting yet ANOTHER machine that takes "pods"…hopefully this will shed some light on it for you! Go for it…you won't regret it. :)

This is one of my favorite little cups that I got in New York at the amazing "Strand" Book Store…miles and miles of books;)