Solinatra receives certification for plant-based coffee pods as compostables go “mainstream”

23 May 2023 --- Solinatra has obtained “OK compost Industrial” certification by TÜV Austria for its coffee capsules made from entirely natural, plant-based materials that are reportedly biodegradable, compostable without containing fossil-derived ingredients and microplastic-free. 

The now-certified capsule can be included in food waste collections, helping decrease plastic and aluminum waste from conventional capsules. 

Innova Market Insights flagged “Green but clean” as a top packaging trend for 2023. The market researcher found that consumers want sustainability but don’t want to be misled. This trend encourages companies to certify their products’ ecological claims to gain a competitive edge.

“Items like coffee capsules are only used for a matter of minutes – why make them of materials that can last hundreds of years? Compostable solutions are ideal for items such as these, which are otherwise difficult or unlikely to be recycled,” Robert I. de Jong, CEO of Solinatra, tells PackagingInsights.

“As regulations come in and consumer awareness grows, we expect to see compostable packaging options increase and become more mainstream.”

Regulated compostable coffee 
Solinatra highlights that over 70 billion single-serve coffee capsules were sold globally in 2022 – enough to circle the planet 51 times. 

Solinatra gets “OK compost Industrial” certification for compostable coffee pods. The EU has been cracking down on coffee packaging waste, incentivizing companies to create compostable alternatives. The industry has been maintaining its focus on convenience while pushing more ecological solutions.

“The environmental impact of coffee capsules is huge, and the proposed EU regulation to make all capsules compostable will take great steps to reduce emissions and plastic pollution and help create a more circular economy,” says de Jong.

As part of the European Commission’s (EC) incoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive revision, coffee capsules and single-use plastic items are set to be more stringently regulated. The directive stipulates that specific plastic packaging must be compostable, including packaging for tea bags, coffee pods, very light plastic bags and sticky labels for fruit and vegetables. 

Shifting away from fossils
Solinatra’s capsule has high oxygen barrier and water vapor barrier properties, allowing the coffee to stay fresh. The company says that composting coffee capsules results in high-quality fertilizer, enabling a more circular economy.

“The capsules are biodegradable, compostable and fully degrade in the same time frame as a banana skin without leaving behind any microplastics or harmful contaminants,” adds de Jong. 

Solinatra, a Netherlands-based natural materials company, aims to scale environmentally sustainable grades of material to replace plastics. 

The company’s patented processes can transform plant waste from harvested crops and agricultural by-products into a biopolymer that runs in standard injection molding machinery, enabling manufacturers to switch from fossil-based plastics to compostable solutions.

By Sabine Waldeck 

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