In the United Kingdom alone, approximately 95 million cups of coffee are consumed daily, with more than one-third of British coffee-drinkers admitting that they dispose of their coffee capsules into trash bins. Roughly 20 billion non-biodegradable, one-cup coffee pods end up in landfills. But Italian espresso giant Lavazza is offering a more eco-friendly alternative — a compostable coffee pod. Non-biodegradable coffee pods are a challenge to recycle because a single capsule is comprised of a mix of materials, including aluminum, foil and especially plastic . Plastic takes up to 500 years before it begins to disintegrate. Related: The problem with coffee pods and the eco-friendly alternatives to use instead Lavazza, meanwhile, is now offering more sustainable coffee pods, called Eco Caps, that are biopolymer-based. In contrast to the non-biodegradable coffee pods, Eco Caps take just six months to degrade. These pods are convenient to dispose of in the food waste bin, depending on your local composting rules. Lavazza has partnered with TerraCycle, a waste collection service that specialized in hard-to-recycle items, to make it easier for Eco Caps to be industrially composted if local composting is not available. The TerraCycle partnership was formed to solve the issue of consumers being generally confused about what can be recycled. Compostable and biodegradable coffee pods are becoming a trend. For instance, online retailer Halo also offers a separate range of compostable pods that are made with paper pulp and sugar cane. “The coffee revolution has happened, and one of the key challenges the industry now faces is the millions of tons of waste created as a result,” explained Richard Hardwick, Halo’s co-founder. “Aluminum and plastic coffee capsules are difficult to recycle, so most of them end up in the bin. And that’s why up to 75 percent are currently being sent to landfill every minute. Most people don’t understand the irreversible damage these coffee capsules are inflicting on the planet.”

05 Nov 2019 --- Italian coffee company Lavazza has introduced Eco Caps, a range of compostable coffee capsules, to address consumers’ rising environmental concerns. To ensure that all coffee capsules are responsibly thrown away, Lavazza is also partnering with TerraCycle to launch a free nationwide program to provide a composting solution for used coffee capsules in the UK. The company aims to replace its entire range of at-home capsules with these new capsules by the end of the year. “The new Lavazza Eco Caps replace the entire range of capsules for home consumption in the UK, without any price difference. This major investment confirms our commitment to product quality and sustainable development,” says David Rogers, UK Managing Director of Lavazza.   The new Lavazza Eco Caps are available in seven taste profiles: Passionale, Qualita Rossa, Lungo Dolce, Tierra Organic, Intenso, Delizioso and Dek Cremoso.   The Eco Caps are available in seven different flavors. The coffee caps are 100 percent industrially compostable and do not affect taste nor quality. According to the company, Lavazza Eco Caps retain their distinctive aroma for longer than other compostable capsules on the market. This is due to the “aroma-safe” technology, which keeps each capsule fresh for up to 18 months.   As packaging waste is often incorrectly disposed of due to unclear recycling labeling, Lavazza and TerraCycle are set to establish a network of publicly accessible coffee capsule drop-off points around the UK, allowing consumers to conveniently dispose of their capsules.   “Currently there is limited availability across the UK in terms of the industrial composting facilities needed to compost many products. Partnering with Lavazza, we provide consumers a simple yet effective way to ensure that the new Lavazza Eco Caps are composted correctly. The resulting material is given a second life as useful nutrient rich compost that bolsters crop growth,” says Laure Cucuron, General Manager, TerraCycle Europe.   Lavazza has made efforts to contribute to a cleaner environment in several different ways. According to the company’s Sustainability Report 2018, it reduced 10 percent of emissions from water consumption in manufacturing plants and corporate management.   As single-use packaging is becoming an increasingly troublesome problem, Lavazza and other companies scout for new packaging innovations and technology to responsibly package consumer goods without affecting shelf-life. Indeed, environmental agencies are pressuring food and beverage industry giants to step up their game.   Cellulose technology developing company PulPac has found a way to replace single-use plastics. In an interview with PackagingInsights, PulPac’s CEO Linus Larssen says the company’s ambition is to “disrupt the packaging industry and set a new and sustainable standard for packaging and single-use products.”   Edited by Anni Schleicher

In the United Kingdom alone, approximately 95 million cups of coffee are consumed daily, with more than one-third of British coffee-drinkers admitting that they dispose of their coffee capsules into trash bins. Roughly 20 billion non-biodegradable, one-cup coffee pods end up in landfills. But Italian espresso giant Lavazza is offering a more eco-friendly alternative — a compostable coffee pod.   Non-biodegradable coffee pods are a challenge to recycle because a single capsule is comprised of a mix of materials, including aluminum, foil and especially plastic. Plastic takes up to 500 years before it begins to disintegrate.   Lavazza, meanwhile, is now offering more sustainable coffee pods, called Eco Caps, that are biopolymer-based. In contrast to the non-biodegradable coffee pods, Eco Caps take just six months to degrade. These pods are convenient to dispose of in the food waste bin, depending on your local composting rules.   Lavazza has partnered with TerraCycle, a waste collection service that specialized in hard-to-recycle items, to make it easier for Eco Caps to be industrially composted if local composting is not available. The TerraCycle partnership was formed to solve the issue of consumers being generally confused about what can be recycled.   Compostable and biodegradable coffee pods are becoming a trend. For instance, online retailer Halo also offers a separate range of compostable pods that are made with paper pulp and sugar cane.   “The coffee revolution has happened, and one of the key challenges the industry now faces is the millions of tons of waste created as a result,” explained Richard Hardwick, Halo’s co-founder. “Aluminum and plastic coffee capsules are difficult to recycle, so most of them end up in the bin. And that’s why up to 75 percent are currently being sent to landfill every minute. Most people don’t understand the irreversible damage these coffee capsules are inflicting on the planet.”

The first compostable one-cup coffee pods from a major manufacturer will go on sale this week in a battle to stop the 20bn pods used every year around the world from ending up in landfill.   Italian espresso giant Lavazza is aiming to replace its entire range of home use capsules with new eco-friendly ones – at the same retail price – by the end of the year.   It is thought that 95m cups of coffee are drunk in the UK every day, but increasingly popular single serve pods have become an environmental scourge – typically ending up in landfill where they can take up to 500 years to break down. The 20bn capsules currently consumed every year are enough to circle the Earth 14 times.   The complexity of packaging - often a mix of different materials such as plastic, foil and aluminium – combined with used coffee dregs – can make them difficult to recycle and process in standard municipal recycling plants.   Lavazza says its new biopolymer-based Eco Caps break down into compost in as little as six months when combined with food waste for council collection. Provided local authority rules allow it, used capsules could be thrown in the food waste bin.   However, where this is unavailable, Lavazza has teamed up with waste collection service TerraCycle to establish a network of public access drop-off points for consumers to dispose of capsules which need to be industrially composted.   David Rogers, managing director of Lavazza UK, said: “This major investment confirms our commitment to excellence and sustainable development.”   Its new research, also published on Monday, shows that more than a third of people in the UK admit to throwing their used coffee capsules into the bin because they don’t know how to properly dispose of them. Consumers also feel generally confused about what can and cannot be recycled, with 72% admitting to feeling overwhelmed when trying to understand the various recycling symbols.   The coffee company Nespresso – part of the Swiss multinational Nestlé – encourages consumers to send back their used aluminium capsules in the UK in special bags while it has also trialled council collection schemes.   Most compostable or biodegradable pods on the market have been launched by small, niche brands. A separate range of 100% compostable pods made from sugar cane and paper pulp, made by online retailer Halo, can be put into home compost or food bins. Halo co-founder Richard Hardwick said: “The coffee revolution has happened and one of the key challenges the industry now faces is the millions of tonnes of waste created as a result.   “Aluminium and plastic coffee capsules are difficult to recycle so most of them end up in the bin, and that’s why up to 75% are currently being sent to landfill every minute. Most people don’t understand the irreversible damage these coffee capsules are inflicting on the planet.”