NatureWorks-IMA partnership banks on North American compostable coffee pods’ “tremendous potential”

29 Apr 2021 --- NatureWorks, manufacturer of Ingeo PLA biopolymers, has entered a strategic partnership with IMA Coffee to accelerate the North American market for compostable single-serve coffee pods.

Speaking with PackagingInsights, Leah Ford, global marketing communications manager at NatureWorks, sees “tremendous potential” for high-performing K-Cup-compatible compostable single-serve coffee pods.

“It’s a confluence of factors that are accelerating the demand for biopolymers like Ingeo,” she highlights. For one, while appreciating the convenience of coffee pods, consumers are actively requesting more eco-friendly single-use packaging.

Meanwhile, NatureWorks observes “incredible growth” in industrial compost infrastructure in the US in response to legislation banning food waste from landfills.

Positive environmental impact
All parts of the compostable pods the joint partnership is developing – meaning the film lidding, nonwoven filter and thermoformed capsule body – will be primarily made with Ingeo PLA biopolymers.

Composting is the “ideal after-use option,” allowing used coffee grounds in the capsules to contribute nutrients to compost, says Ford.

However, even if the compostable coffee pod is not composted – and disposed of alongside standard garbage – the pods still offer “improved environmental benefits.”

“Ingeo, the raw material used to make these pods, is a bio-based material that starts with plants converting CO2 into sugars that we ferment into lactic acid. Therefore, compostable pods made with Ingeo have a much smaller carbon footprint and use fewer fossil fuel resources than pods made with incumbent petrochemical-based plastics,” she explains.

Even if the compostable coffee pod is not composted, it offers a reduced carbon footprint.Growing North American composting infrastructure
Commercially available Ingeo-based coffee pods are currently suitable for industrial composting only, as they have been tested and certified for compostability under these conditions.

“Unlike with industrial composting, home composting environments are not widely standardized and vary depending on geography,” Ford details. “There are also no regional specifications, like ASTM D6400, for testing home compostability at this time, but they are under development.”

NatureWorks pursues R&D investments in this area, focusing on the development of next-generation, highly-functional, bio-based materials. The long-term goal is to provide advanced materials with degradation characteristics that can be tailored to a wide range of environmental conditions.

In a video interview earlier this month, PackagingInsights explored certification developments in the North American compostability scene with TC Transcontinental.

European-inspired expansion
The NatureWorks-IMA partnership for developing a turn-key solution for compostable K-Cup compatible pods in North America “is just beginning,” notes Ford, indicating it is “too early” to announce any collaborating brands at this time.

However, NatureWorks will leverage its experience with compostable coffee pods gained in European markets for the North American expansion.

“As an example, Covim is a well-known Italian brand that offers compostable pods made with Ingeo that are compatible with the Lavazza A Modo Mio system,” says Ford.

In 2019, Lavazza introduced a range of compostable coffee capsules called Eco Caps. To ensure all coffee capsules are responsibly thrown away, Lavazza also partnered with TerraCycle to launch a free UK-wide program, providing a composting solution for used coffee capsules.

By Anni Schleicher

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