Feels like a waste to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Discussion
Not always. A good capsule has on average 6g of perfectly grained coffee, whereas an espresso machine (even a good one) needs ~10g of coffee. If you find good biodegradable capsules, this is a bingo.
(Disclaimer) I’m not an advocate of capsules 😬 I would still prefer my Bialetti