Kicking an unsustainable habit? Sunflower husk based biodegradable coffee capsules launched in world first

16 Oct 2018 --- Biodegradable coffee capsules that consumers can dispose of in their home compost have been developed by Golden Compound, in cooperation with Alpla. The capsules are made from Golden Compound green material; comprised from the natural fibers of sunflower seed shells. The capsule and filter fleece is completely biodegradable within a maximum of six months and is free from aluminum and genetically modified organisms. 

“We believe there is a huge demand for this sustainable packaging solution that reduces the carbon footprint and is very easy to handle for consumers. The capsules are completely biodegradable in the garden compost,” Christian Hehle, Global Key Account Manager at Alpla tells PackagingInsights.

The first coffee company to take up the innovation will be Amann Kaffee from Vorarlberg, Austria. The company notes that the capsules are also suitable for Nespresso machines.

The company further indicates how the product can really “clear the conscience” of any avid coffee consumer as the sunflower seeds are used as a reinforcing material: meaning, they are a by-product of the food industry and not in competition with food production.

Sugarcane is a popular material to use in biobased applications; however, critics note that the potential moral implications that come with using an ingredient for packaging that could also be used to feed the populations of the world. Speaking to PackagingInsights, Südpack's R&D manager noted that, as a company, Südpack is aware that the use of sugarcane clashes with some companies:

“Some materials come from sources that could be used for food – sugar cane, for example. Taking materials that could be harvested for food, but using them for packaging could offend some philosophy and company ethos,” says Matthias Schrägle. You can read the full interview here.

Coffee capsules: An unsustainable habit?
Coffee capsules have come under heat in recent years for their weak sustainability profile and single-use reputation. The disposal of used coffee capsules – often made with a mixture of plastic and aluminum – is a growing problem for the environment.

The city of Hamburg in Germany even banned coffee pods from state-run buildings as part of a drive to reduce waste back in 2016.

According to statistics presented by the BBC, in 2016, more than US$147 million worth of coffee pods were sold in the UK, up by a third from 2014. Sales are expected to treble by 2020, at which point coffee capsule sales could overtake those of tea bags.

Although Nespresso does run a recycling scheme for its immensely popular coffee pod line, where it will collect your used pods and recycle them for you, there have been a number of compostable options to spring up on the market this year.

In July, UK supermarket Waitrose became the first supermarket to announce its future launch of biodegradable coffee capsules, to be available in December this year.

According to the company, the four new Waitrose 1 coffee capsules are designed to be compatible with Nespresso machines and will be available in recyclable cardboard packaging.

The supermarket is already offering another range of home-compostable coffee pods which were launched in March this year: The Eden Project.

“At Eden we are always searching for sustainable solutions and looking to reduce waste. These fully compostable capsules allow coffee lovers to enjoy delicious ethically-sourced coffees without creating additional plastic waste,” says Tracey Smith, Commercial Manager for the Eden Project.

The packaging industry has innovated around further coffee waste issues, such as reusing coffee grounds. The grounds could even be used to produce biodegradable plastics, a student from Macquarie University, Australia has found in his Ph.D. research. Researcher Dominik Kopp developed a method to turn coffee grounds into lactic acid, which can then be used to produce biodegradable plastics. You can read the fully story here.

By Laxmi Haigh