European Bioplastics calls on EU to include compostable coffee capsules in PPWR

07 Apr 2023 --- The European Bioplastics (EUBP) association is calling on the EU Parliament and Council to include coffee capsules in the proposed list for mandatorily compostable packaging applications as set out in the EC’s proposal for revised packaging rules (PPWR). 

“To my mind, it’s quite simple – when you compost coffee capsules, you’re able to use packaging and the precious organic matter in the compost where it improves the carbon-nitrogen ratio in the compost,” Hasso von Pogrell, managing director at EUBP tells PackagingInsights. 

“If you look at a coffee capsule, around 20% by weight is packaging and roughly 80% is the wet organic material. The coffee waste is challenging to separate from the packaging efficiently. That means they will not be recycled mechanically because they will be seen as a contaminant and end up either in incineration at best or landfill.”

EUBP details that life-cycle assessment (LCA) shows that capturing the capsules’ main component via organic recycling ensures the greatest value retention from the used application, which aligns with the fundamentals of circularity. 

Mandatory compostable coffee pods would bring financial value to the European market, says EUBP.LCA supports compostability
Compost containing coffee grounds has several benefits when used as a soil amendment. In any other end-of-life option, the valuable organic material is lost, EUBP says.

“There are many companies already adopting compostable materials – even Nespresso recently came out with a compostable coffee capsule. Of course, aluminum has long been a commonly used material. It will require some time to change and adapt the system, but in principle, I see no problem,” says von Pogrell.

EUBP further cites the EC’s Impact Assessment that found compostable coffee capsules as a preferred option from an LCA point of view. Compostable coffee capsules increase the capture of biowaste, reduce the contamination of compost with non-compostable plastics and do not lead to increased contamination of other waste streams, it reiterates.

Furthermore, von Pogrell says that all packaging contaminated by food waste holds the potential to be included in the composting mandate. 

“While the coffee capsule is an excellent example, there are other examples where the packaging is soiled with organic waste. Especially if that packaging is small, it’s not worthwhile to sort, clean and recycle it. And this is what we’re saying: we are pleased with the mandatory applications, but we would like to keep the door open for further applications to be allowed on the market as composable applications.”

Bio-based contentBio-based content is underrepresented in the PPWD, says EUBP.
Moreover, von Pogrell highlights that bio-based content is “barely mentioned” in the PPWR. He says apart from extending the compostable mandate to other food packaging, EUBP asks for support for bio-based plastics in the recycling infrastructure.

“We know that the PPWR framework foresees a certain recycled content for packaging, but we say that this recycled content should also be able to be achieved with any combination of bio-based and recycled content to reach the recycled content targets,” von Pogrell continues.

Additionally, he says bio-based polymers such as PLA (polylactic acid), PBAT (or polybutylene adipate terephthalate) and other starch blends by themselves or in combinations are the “perfect match” for food packaging with compostable properties. 

Mirroring the take on bioplastics, Mariagiovanna Vetere, global public affairs director at NatureWorks, previously told PackagingInsights that bio-based and compostable packaging provides many benefits in terms of reduced CO2 emissions and reduced dependence on fossil-based feedstocks.

“Compostable applications like rigid food packaging, paper coatings, bin liners, flexible packaging, tea bags, or coffee capsules make it easy for consumers to direct their food scraps to compost, where they become valuable nutrients. This also keeps food scraps out of incinerators or landfills where that food generates methane as it degrades,” she told us.

By Radhika Sikaria