Changing coffee culture: Dutch university finds compostable bioplastic capsules the most sustainable option

23 Nov 2023 --- Wageningen University & Research (WUR) finds compostable bio-based coffee capsules the most environmentally sustainable option when considering material circularity and GHG emissions.

In a coffee culture where billions of capsules are consumed annually in Europe, the research led by Ingeborg Smeding assessed three capsule types: Compostable bio-based, conventional plastic and aluminum.

Unlike previous studies focusing solely on GHG emissions, the research introduced a comprehensive perspective by incorporating circularity through the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), a tool developed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

The key findings indicate that compostable plastic capsules achieve a 100% MCI, signifying full circularity when composted. These bio-based and biodegradable capsules facilitate the organic recycling of coffee grounds and capsule materials into compost. Notably, compostable options maintain environmental sustainability even if improperly disposed of, though challenges exist in gaining acceptance in separately collected municipal organic waste streams.

While aluminum capsules emerge as the second-best choice with an MCI of around 60%, its sustainability relies on dedicated mono-collection systems. In these systems, aluminum is recycled, and coffee grounds are composted. However, challenges include a lower MCI than compostable capsules and difficulties achieving high participation rates in voluntary mono-collection programs.

The study findings indicate that compostable plastic capsules achieve a 100% MCI, signifying full circularity when composted.Conventional fossil-based plastics, in contrast, fall short in a circular economy, with an MCI below 50%. Neither the plastic capsules nor the spent coffee grounds are recycled in this scenario.

The research was part of the project “Increase circularity by the use of biobased and industrially compostable materials” and funded by Advanced Technology Innovations, De Koffiejongens, NatureWorks, Novamont, TotalEnergies Corbion and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water. 

Urges for legislative support
Following the publication of the study, the European Bioplastics (EUBP) association reiterated its call on the EU legislators to “finally take the benefits of compostable coffee capsules up in their negotiation” of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

“EUBP would like the EU legislators to unambiguously (meaning with clear definitions) mandate plastic coffee capsules to be industrially compostable. As clearly demonstrated in our position paper, this would be the most sensible and environmentally beneficial option,” Hasso von Pogrell, managing director at EUBP, tells Packaging Insights.

The WUR research considered various end-of-life scenarios, including industrial composting, recycling via lightweight packaging waste collection, incineration with energy recovery, landfill with energy recovery, and mono-collection for aluminum capsules.

Echoing this sentiment, Thomas Philipon, CEO of TotalEnergies Corbion, underscores the importance of legislative support: “At TotalEnergies Corbion, we look forward to European legislation ensuring the sustainable end-of-life option for PLA products across Europe. Legislative backing is crucial to realizing the full potential of compostable capsules.”

The WUR study aligns with the European Commission’s Impact Assessment for the PPWR, emphasizing the positive impact of compostable coffee capsules. “It’s about time that the findings of multiple studies conducted on and confirming the advantages of compostable coffee capsules find their way into legislation,” stresses von Pogrell.

EUBP urges legislators to consider compostable options in the ongoing negotiations: “If the legislators cannot follow the original proposal of the commission to make all coffee capsules mandatorily compostable, they should at least consider this option for all those made of plastic.”

Compostability challenges
WUR clarifies that the main hurdle in the Netherlands is getting compostable coffee capsules accepted in the separately collected municipal organic waste. The WUR study aligns with the European Commission’s Impact Assessment for the PPWR, emphasizing the positive impact of compostable coffee capsules.

To tackle the composting challenge, the report recommends: “Compostable coffee capsules are a promising solution in terms of sustainability but require multi-stakeholder consensus. Therefore, we recommend that the national government initiate negotiations between the coffee industry, the waste management industry and material producers to define the conditions at which the compostable capsules can be accepted to be treated with separately collected municipal organic waste.” 

“Alternatively, in the context of the ongoing discussion regarding the PPWR, EU institutions should confirm the initial proposal of the European Commission and demand the use of compostable materials for coffee capsules and pods and their processing with organic waste.”

Meanwhile, von Pogrell tells us that “given that by the end of this year, the separate collection and treatment of biowaste will become mandatory across the EU, industrial composting is our preferred choice of method.” 

“However, for various reasons, e.g., not all European citizens will have access to biowaste collection in rural areas, home-composting is a suitable alternative.”

The trade body believes that bioplastics can contribute to achieving carbon neutrality, (organic) recycling targets and innovation by adopting targeted measures that promote solutions based on bio-based and compostable plastics.

By Radhika Sikaria