Greiner Packaging seeks home compostable certification for new capsule solutions

09 Mar 2022 --- Greiner Packaging is developing a solution made from compostable polymers to help consumers dispose of used coffee capsules “in their own backyard.” The company has entered a bid for TÜV certification in Austria and Belgium, which would officially credit the solution as home compostable. 

For years, Greiner Packaging has been producing packaging solutions for the booming coffee capsule market. While coffee capsules are already commonplace products for many offices and homes, tea, cocoa, baby food and various soft drinks are increasingly also being packaged this way, says the company. 

“It was important to us to find a solution that would meet our high-quality standards for product protection that would also be environmentally-friendly and user-friendly,” explains Taner Ertan, international business development manager at Greiner Packaging. 

Capsules are often unfairly seen as environmentally damaging, says Greiner Packaging.“After extensive research, we decided on a polymer which is compostable and has good barrier properties. We have already put this material through an initial series of successful product tests.” 

Barrier tech and precision 
Greiner Packaging says it has an “ultra-precise production process” in place and uses barrier technology to maintain quality taste. This process protects the packaged product from external influences such as oxygen penetration, extending its shelf life and retaining optimum flavor. Multi barrier technology can be used in combination with thermoforming, injection molding and in-mold labeling.

When it comes to environmental sustainability, Greiner Packaging says many people are critical of capsules – but this form of packaging is more environmentally-friendly than perceived, the company claims. Capsules also provide the product with strong protection, preventing it from spoiling and going to waste. 

“The coffee inside the capsule is precisely measured, with one capsule per cup meaning that the consumer never uses too much – making that cold coffee leftover in the pot, which no one actually drinks, a thing of the past. If Greiner Packaging has its way, the packaging will become even more [environmentally] sustainable in the future,” says the company. 

TÜV certification 
The process of having the new home compostable capsule certified by TÜV Austria and Belgium has been underway since February. The goal is to receive the OK Home Compost certificate, which is awarded to products that can be composted at low temperatures – for example, in a compost heap in a consumer’s backyard. 

“Organic material accounts for around 50% of all household waste. That figure will loom even larger in the future due to the increasing popularity of biodegradable products, such as packaging materials and disposable cutlery,” adds Ertan.

The TÜV certification process for the final home compostable capsule should be completed by the fourth quarter of this year, with the capsule available in the colors black and white. Additional colors are expected to follow. 

By Louis Gore-Langton