New Zealand coffee chain champions compostable bags with closed-loop disposal

18 Jun 2020 --- Allpress Espresso has brought compostability-curious and coffee-coveting consumers closer together. The New Zealand-based gourmet coffee chain has released 250 g and 1 kg commercially compostable retail bags. Charlie Cook, UK Brand Lead of Allpress Espresso, tells PackagingInsights more about composting infrastructure, circular disposal solutions and what makes compostable packaging a worthwhile investment.

“We produce a lot of bags and up until now there has not been a good end of life for them. An investment in compostable packaging means that we are costing the earth less, as long as we can succeed in closing this loop from bag to compost. It’s a no-brainer because they look great so they’re better for us, and we are confident that they are a better product that functions well for flavor – so they're great for our customers too. It’s a great investment because they have so much more potential than plastic,” Cook describes.

Allpress was sure to provide consumers with a sensory experience with both the coffee packaging and its contents: the bag’s exterior has a rough, textile finish and makes crackling noises when carried. With its labels using compostable-friendly inks and glue, the new bags retain the traditional brown hues and coffee-concentrated colors.Allpress is present in the UK, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore.

Except for the removable valve, the exterior packaging makes use of inks, adhesives and paper that are all compostable. The exterior material is a very sturdy kraft paper, lined with a biopolymer and an oxygen barrier that preserves the coffee's fresh smell and taste. Creating such a sensory-enhanced bag while delivering on eco-conscious consumer demands took the company three years to develop.

Correct disposal is key
Compostable packaging may be more eco-friendly, but not all consumers have access to commercial composting. With this in mind, Allpress offers customers the opportunity to return used bags to stores. For those with access to compatible waste streams, they also offer compostable bags upon request.

“The lack of nationalized infrastructures in any country to compost this packaging has led us to offer the customer the option to send us the packaging and we compost it for them. Obviously, the cost to us increases based on how many people return the bags, so in a roundabout way, a higher cost to us means a better solution for the environment so we welcome it. The cost to the customer should be fairly low, especially if they send back the bags in bulk,” Cook highlights. 

A 3 kg version of Allpress's coffee packaging will be coming to market within the next few months.Allpress is present in the UK, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore, but access to commercial composting sites varies from region to region. “It’s different in larger cities compared to more rural areas. Ultimately, the goal is to develop bags that are home-compostable, which will help deal with this issue. We're working on this as we speak,” he foretells. 

Trying something new
Open to an array of environmentally conscious packaging solutions, Cook affirms that reusable packaging is “absolutely” a viable option for coffee packaging. “We have a reusable airtight canister that we use to encourage consumers in our cafes to bring back and refill. This has the added benefit of keeping the coffee as fresh as possible, and it means we can save [on] packaging. Some of the cafes that use our coffee also offer a similar arrangement and we think it works well,” he notes.

This isn't the only innovation in the coffee roaster’s next-gen packaging lineup. A 3 kg version will be coming to market soon. Additionally, the brand continues to work on improving its packaging further, including a compostable version of its ziplock closures and valves. Finally, a bag that fits through a standard letterbox is also on the drawing board. “We feel this will help the experience of the coffee consumer and further reduce the amount of packaging we use,” Cook concludes.

By Anni Schleicher