Coffee pods provide a convenient, no-mess, hassle-free cup of coffee of consistent strength and temperature. However, they are seen by many consumers as a non-sustainable packaging form that contribute significantly to the packaging waste issue.
Compostable pods can offer a solution. They create the opportunity not only to address consumer concerns and divert the packaging away from landfills, but also to recover the used coffee grounds, enabling their processing at a compost facility where they deliver valuable nutrients to the final compost.
Coffee pods, however, are deceptively simple looking. Creating a capsule that functions as it should requires both insight into materials and a knowledge of coffee and the dynamics of coffee-making. The capsule body, lidding, and filter must be precisely designed to deliver a consistent, high-quality brewing experience. Before the capsules even reach consumers, it’s critical that these components perform well during assembly and filling as well as on the shelf and during brewing.
After almost three years of development, PLA producer NatureWorks and coffee processor and packaging company IMA Coffee have launched a fully compostable coffee capsule. The new pods are made with NatureWork’s Ingeo biopolymer and are compatible with existing Keurig machines in the North American market.
For the rigid capsule body, NatureWorks combined non-compounded, highly crystalline, and heat resistant Ingeo PLA grades with a refined single-stage thermoforming process to achieve production rates comparable to polypropylene (PP) capsules. The rigid thermoformed capsule was then combined with a nonwoven filter and multi-layer top lidding solution also made with Ingeo. The bioplastics manufacturer said using one primary material through all three components of a coffee pod is more cost effective and offers greater consistency when heat sealing the components together, thus preserving the taste and aroma of the enclosed coffee.
IMA Coffee Lab validated the new solution conducting compatibility testing on the rigid capsules, filter, and top lidding films. The microleakage detection testing performed at IMA Coffee Lab helped identify and achieve the optimal material sealing parameters and limits for the compostable components to ensure reliable performance when brewing pods. IMA was also able to define the suitable set up of IMA packaging machineries to handle the assembly, filling, and sealing of the pods successfully at commercial line speeds.
The new pods have a built-in barrier that makes them both shelf- and counter-stable for over 12 months. According to a study by Netherlands-based Wageningen University & Research, Ingeo-based compostable coffee capsules are more sustainable than both aluminium and virgin plastic capsules.
“This solution removes the burden from brands and roasters who are looking for a compostable pod with a long shelf life that preserves the taste and aroma of the coffee,” said Flavio Di Marcotullio, strategic marketing manager, single serve beverages, at NatureWorks. “These Ingeo pods provide a reliable brewing experience for consumers, can be produced at commercial speeds, and do not sacrifice expected performance for sustainability,” he concluded.