Switzerland’s largest retailer has launched a new type of eco-friendly coffee machine with fully-compostable coffee balls on 6 September. The Migros supermarket chain hopes to shake up the global market and take on Nespresso through appealing to environmentally conscious consumers, reported Phys.org.

Its aluminium and plastic free take on Nestle’s Nespresso coffee pods will help it gain the coffee pod giant’s market share, the company hopes.

The machines and coffee balls, which took five years to develop, became available for consumers in Switzerland and France on Tuesday, with other countries showing immense interest in the product, said Chief Executive Fabrice Zumbrunnen at the launch in Zurich, viewing a roll out across borders. 

Mirgos believes what differentiates its system from other compostable coffee pods on the market, is that it is fully biodegradable. 

The coffee balls are only compatible with Migros CoffeeB system. 

The Swiss retailer claims 63 billion coffee capsules are sold each year around the world, generating an approximate 100,000 tonnes of waste. 

Mirgos claims its biodegradable coffee beans are sourced from sustainable crops with fair trade and organic certification.