New ‘green’ coffee capsules are being launched to take on the aluminium Nespresso versions promoted by George Clooney.

The capsules, which have been designed by the start-up company Halo, are compatible with the Nespresso machines advertised by the US movie star.

They are made from a natural mix of fibres, including bamboo and paper.

As a result, every capsule biodegrades completely within 90 days, whereas an aluminium capsule takes 150 to 200 years.

A huge amount of energy is used to refine the aluminium used to make the capsules from raw bauxite, a process that produces a lot of toxic waste.

The 3g pod is used just once before being thrown away – although they are designed to be recycled.