Compostable Coffee Bags Now Being Used in Australia
Convex Plastics, June 2nd, 2011Melbourne-based organic coffee wholesaler Espresso Syndicate has helped make the coffee industry more sustainable by becoming the first Australian company to use Econic compostable coffee packaging.
Econic compostable coffee packaging used by Espresso Syndicate
The coffee has been distributed to cafes and restaurants throughout Victoria and has received a positive response.
Espresso Syndicate Owner Melissa Floreani says, “Some of our café customers have told us that the coffee packed in Econic actually tastes better. Also, from a sustainability point of view, what we like about the packaging is that it’s lighter and can be sealed with a lower heat. That means we are potentially using less energy to seal the bags and the transportation costs are lower because the bags weigh less than standard coffee packaging.”
Believed to be the first packaging of its kind in the world, Econic has been specifically developed by Convex Plastics to provide the ideal sealing and barrier properties for hot and cold roasted coffee. The Econic bags are made from three separate bio-degradable films, which are laminated together to provide a high level of functionality and presentation. All three films have been internationally certified to EN13432 for composting and biodegradability.
Prior to trialling Econic, Espresso Syndicate spent two years searching for a suitable renewable coffee bag. They had already introduced 100% compostable PLAnet Cups and lids for their take out coffee, but were struggling to find a functional compostable coffee pack. After researching the environmental versus business performance benefits of various types of coffee packaging the company concluded, that to be truly sustainable, the bag structure needed to provide a high barrier to oxygen and moisture to compete with world’s best practice in coffee packaging.
Melissa says, “We are quite excited to be first to market with this product. It is really important for us to provide socially and environmentally responsible coffee that contributes to a sustainable future for both the coffee industry and the planet. We are really quite dedicated to reducing plastic, especially for single use products, and it’s great to have found a coffee pack that really ticks all the boxes for us. The other options we looked at were not particularly sustainable and did not provide a sufficient barrier to retain the coffee’s freshness.”
Convex Australia Managing Director Brent May says the partnership with Espresso Syndicate has provided Convex with a valuable “real situation” to trial the effectiveness and integrity of the Econic film structure.
“It was also important to find a likeminded partner who shared our sustainability outlook,” says Brent. “With Espresso Syndicate’s entire business model built around a ‘Sustainability first’ moniker, it was clear we had found our partner.”
Econic packaging is expected to be rolled out further afield in Australia within the next 12 months.