Hello-
Has anyone come across recyclable packaging for the coffee industry?
We currently use poly nylon bags, mylar bags, and claycoat poly lined bags. I would like to switch to something recyclable, but so far haven't found anything.
Thank you-
Katherine
Hey Katherine - that's a tough one. I haven't seen any recyclable solutions, but you may want to check out bags from Fres-co. They incorporate a NatureWorks corn-based polymer that replaces petroleum-based components. Folks like Green Mountain, Jim's Organic, and Newman's Own use them.
Hi Katherine,
if you like email me at richard.smith@amcor.com.au [20] and we can see if we can help you.
Richard
I would like to email you in regard of this. Moreover, Katherine will also email you soon. Also we will speak about recyclable products for coffee industry. Now plastic has become a major problem in this human world so, something need to be done to prevent or currently minimize the problem. Plastic contains harmful Silver Nanoparticles which is not degradable thus creates fatal problem in environment.
Hi Katerine, do you know what the oxygen and moisture requirements are for the coffee you are packaging?
There are some interesting new technologies out there, but packaging will depend greatly on the fill process of the coffee and if the package requires venting for offgassing and also the OTR and WVTR requirements.
We also work with NatureWorks and may have some recommendations.
Katherine, interesting question. I would start with the question; What packaging can be recycled?
Now I don't know about what barrier properties may be required, and therefore my thoughts could be completely wrong, but here are some thoughts still the same.
1. Can you move to a multi-wall paper bag? Fiber packaging is recyclable, assuming you don't put foil or hot stamp artwork on the packaging.
2. PET bottles can be recycled.
3. HDPE bottles can be recycled as well.
In both instances 2 and 3 their could be some restricitions on color, so be aware of this if one of these options is considered feasible.
The underlining concern is the type of claim you wish to make. If you wish to have a package that you can state is recyclable, you need to ensure that a majority of consumers (60%) live in an area where the specific material is reclaimed at a MRF.
I have done this.
There are large minimums.
Think McDonld'd hamburger wrappers...
I have done biodegradable coffee bags that are also recyclable. In this case the one for Larry's Beans was the first. NatureWorks products are made from PLA and can only be recycled with other PLA, so I would avoid them. Contact me at leslie@maverickent.net [28].
The only recyclable coffee packaging I ever saw was steel or aluminium rigid boxes with an aluminium closure and a plastic cap easily separable by the consumer before sorting. If you want informations about which packaging are recycled and why, see the free website www.pack4recycling.be [30] made by our Green Dot organisation. The informations are based on the european (belgian) experience wich is basically the same in the US.
Katherine -
I would advise you to be careful in this area. Depending on what the format is of your coffee package (rigid versus flexible) the answer will be very different.
On the rigid side you can choose from any number of recyclable materials, but in order to reach the barrier levels you may need the overall wall thickness of the package may be expensive, and actually do more damage than good. For example, if you could use HDPE, it is a very recyclable material, but in order to get the barrier properties you need you may actually have to double or triple the wall thickness, which means using significantly more material. You would have to do a deep dive to determine whether that increase in material actually causes more harm than the benefit of being recyclable.
On the flexible side it is a bit more complicated. While there are materials that theoretically can be recycled the infrastructure does not exist in most areas to handle flexible films. In addition most multi-layer films that would be necessary for barrier requirements (which you are already in) are next to impossible to separate and recycle.
I would encourage you to ask the question a little more broadly and rather than dictating the specific end of life you want (recyclable) ask the question as "How can I improve the environmental footprint of my coffee package?" This will open the door for a lot more options that are probably more realistic.
I hope this helps, let me know if you would like to discuss further.
Katherine,
The question is very interesting because it reflects consumer's perceptions of recyclable being the most important attribute for green packaging or sustainable packaging. As described in the other comments, the format is very important for recyclability. Rigid packages can be handled and sorted much easier than flexibles, and the amount of material that can be recovered is significantly more.
Let's suppose that a single-material bag has the barrier properties needed for the product. The next step would be to separate this material from all other flexible materials that would contaminate it. It is unlikely that enough bags are collected and separated to make the process worth it (environmentally and financially speaking). This is why many people support the idea of waste-to-energy as a good end of life scenario for flexible packaging, in particular when contaminated with product residues.
Another aspect to consider is the amount of material used for the package and the environmental impacts associated with it. A steel can is recyclable and recycled at high rates, but when considering the total resources needed and environmental impact of a heavy can that's only recycled at a certain rate vs. a very lightweight bag, it is very possible that the bag comes out ahead. A good assessment would be required to confirm, and fortunately there are some tools that can be used, like the Sustainable Packaging Coalition COMPASS tool or the Walmart Sustainable Packaging Scorecard.
A good approach would be to confirm whether the bags have less environmental impact than other packages, and then find other ways to reduce the environmental footprint of the packaging.
Hello Katerine,
I am starting to work with a company that would like to enter the coffee packaging industry with small customers here in the US. Even though they do not have the answer to your question, I believe that it would be interesting for both to evaluate what could be done that would satisfy both needs with benefits to all.
Please let me know if you found something and how the search ended.
You should talk to Larry's Beans which is a Coffee company in Raleigh, NC. They make & sell Coffee and use biodegradable bags - Kyley Schmidt is who you can start with. 919-828-1234
Mike Orlowski
Stephen Gould
The bag that Larry's Beans uses is petroleum based and there is question as to whether or not it really biodegrades at the rate their manufacturer claims. They also at one time claimed on their website that it composts in a personal compost and that is just not true. Must be why that claim is gone on the website....I have had one of those "bio" bags in my compost for over a year and it still looks good. The label is still even attached although the print is gone, and the valve isn't biodegradable. Doesn't "bio" mean life???
When you put your newspapers in your compost, do you just dump them in or do you cut them up? You are supposed to cut them up. If you had a head of iceberg lettuce, would you drop the entire head in, or break it up? The same is true of all composting. You just don't drop tree branches into a compost and expect them to break down. What you did wrong was not cutting the bag up so biota could easily get to it, just like you do with any paper item. They never made a claim that the labels or the valves were landfill biodegradable/compostable. I think you need to read up on the proper way to compost items.
The important fact to remember is that the films that make up the bag have passed ASTM 5511 and ASTM 5338.98. If you look them both up, you will see that neither have any times associated with them. They will biodegrade in landfills and compost in backyard composts depending on how active the biota are. However, it sounds like you are not following composting protocols. Which is better for the environment is a no-brainer, however. Yes it does use petroleum. Only 1.5% of all fossil fuels in the US per year end up as plastic. PLA uses MORE fossil fuels than plastic in its development. It buys energy credits to by-pass this fact. And the last time I looked at the BPI website, there were about 100 places in the ENTIRE US to safely compost them. So people are using corn for plastic and ethanol which drives up the cost of food and they end up in landfills where they will last 400 years. GMO's are killing Monarch butterflies and other good insects. The excessive fertilizing of corn with nitrogen has created a Dead Zone the size of the state of New Jersey in the Gulf Of Mexico. So you tell me, which is better: a bag that is certified to compost and break down in a landfill or one that uses our precious food resources and is not sustainable and will more than likely not be composted where it can safely break down?
I'm not clear on the Larry's bean bag. As far as I understand, I have to remove the valve and remove the various stickers on the bag, then cut it up into small pieces in hopes that it might break down in my compost pile anywhere up to 5 years? I think I like the idea of PLA. I understand they are moving away from corn and to other feed stocks. I think this is the better technology vs a oil based products that may or may not break down over 5 years.
You would use a bag made from corn that uses more fossil fuels to make than a plastic bag? That is insane! We are going to renewable resources to get away from the use of fossil fuels. Unfortuantely PLA uses more fossil fuels than a plastic bag. They say they are moving away from corn, but until they do so, it is not a valid choice. That might take years!! There are products made from tree pulp, sugar cane, saw grasses, etc. that are much better options. PLA is misleading the public when it says it does use less fossil fuels when they turn around and and buy energy credits. If the product I use takes 5 years to biodegrade, that is a lot quicker than regular plastics and PLA take when dumped into a landfill- they take 400 yrs minimum. PLA has only 100 locations in the US where it can be safely composted, so it is being dumped in landfills. Independent testing has been done on my plastic with the additive showing it does biodegrade in landfills, so this not a claim, it is a fact. PLA is not backyard compostable at all. Read the article in Smithsonian Magazine, Aug 2006. The Environmental Defense Org stated that PLA is creating more global warming than gasoline. (Nov, 2007). 40 % of Louisiana's fishermen have lost their jobs since 2001 due to the dead zone caused by nitrogen used for fertilizing corn. Smithfield Foods went into Chaper 11 this year because of the high cost of corn, not the recession according to their President. We have now reached 1 Billion people in the world going hungry in 2008. Why? Food costs are up 24% since 2006.That is an 11% increase in one year. A French professor of Bio-Polymer Science, Stephan Gilbert, stated that the use of certain bioplastics that can be used for food sources come with "unwelcome ethical consequences" due the fact they cause increases in the cost of food. Also, please note:my plastic biodegrades anaerobically in landfills where it will create methane. 75% of all landfills in the US now harvest this and make it into a cheap source of energy that is cheaper than wind power. PLA and normal plastic are just sitting there filling up landfills. Mine can be recycled with normal plastic. PLA cannot.So take 3 minutes to cut up the Larry's Beans bag before you compost it. You have to do the same for your newspapers don't you?
Nothing "biodegrades" in landfills. Landfills are lined with and capped with clay so that it is an anaerobic atmosphere. That is why biodegradable packaging is not a real solution to anything if it's thrown into the trash. Biodegradable packaging is mostly a marketing scheme to just make everyone think they are doing a good job.
I am a coffee roaster and what I would like to find is a paper coffee bag, made with post-consumer recycled paper that can in turn be recycled again. Anyone found that ou there?
Katherine
We produce 100 % biodegradable, metallized, fractional web that is Omni-degradable. That is it will degrade in a backyard compost, landfill whether aerated or not, rivers, lakes and oceans.
Considering the very small amount of packaging that is recycled, it is much more likely to end up in a landfill. We also produce paper bags with 100% bio-liners for coffee. Within a few months we are introducing a New Clear High Barrier 100% Bio-film for many applications and this will be recyclable also.
PLA is being used as a middle layer between non-degradable materials for Newman's, etc. Where can that go ?
The BPI states that any PLA film over 0.8 mil. will not compost according to ASTM 6400 standards.
Oxo-bio leaves heavy metals in the soil and requires 6 hours of direct sunlight to initiate degradation, according to the scientist who developed it.
Our films react only with the microbes in or on the soil or water. They remain inert until contact with these microbes. They are shelf-stable as long as regular films. Many companies, large and small have started using or trialling our films. We welcome your business.
I read your post and found it very interesting. My company, Sara Lee, is very interested in using more sustainable films for various products, mainly our bread bags and coffee packages. Can you please provide me with more information on your films?
Amia,
We would be pleased to send you a brochure and samples or come to visit if you prefer. For samples I just need your address.
I know Sara Lee has many plants.
The films we use are made by TekPakSolutions.com.
Kindest regards
Bob Pocius
Amia
I thought my previous reply would show my email address. bobp@grayrockspackaging.com [12]
Thank you.
Innovia Films (www.innoviafilms.com [13]) manufactures NatureFlex™ - a range of certified compostable, cellulose-based, flexible films from renewable resources, which have the technical properties required to package coffee such as moisture barrier, oxygen and aroma barrier etc. Due to our contacts in the printing and lamination industries we can help you to achieve a completely sustainable packaging solution.
All the sustainability claims we make over our NatureFlex™ products can be fully and independently substantiated and certified.
We would be pleased to discuss opportunities with you further – so do either call me on: +1 770 818 3008 or email: roslyn.smith@innoviafilms.com [14]
We tried Metallized Cello films for coffee packaging and brought samples to a customer during the summer. By the time we got there, the packages in the trunk of the car had shriveled up into a ball. Water was accidentally splashed on another sample and it looked like acid had been spilled on it. It was also difficult to form-fill-seal.
We decided this was not the way to go.
Be very careful with all the claims that are being made for coffee packaging. Many are false and misleading. I would suggest referring to Sustainable Packaging Coalition to research this topic. I’ve been in the coffee packaging industry for over 18 years and find myself continually amazed at the level of misleading information being spread on the internet. The Larry’s Beans bag is a great example. If you want a bag that might break down in well over 9 months, can’t degas CO2, leave behind ink and adhesive residue, it might be the right package for you. Please research and understand your options; that would be the best advice I could offer. Also, the old saying remains, don’t believe everything your read (especially on the internet).
What you say is very true- do not believe all you read on the internet. For example, you state that the Larry's Beans bag does not have a degassing valve for CO2. Wrong. It has one. As for the adhesives- they are biodegradable. The inks are water based. I am trying to partner up with someone to mdevelop a biodegradable valve. I have already developed biodegradable labels.
As for false claims, remember back in the 1980's when a can liner claimed biodegradability and the FTC checked it and found it to be false? The same applies here. If these bags were not tested and certified ASTM 5511 for landfill biodegradability, then I'd say yes, there is a problem. But, they are certified ASTM 5511. It might take longer than 9 months which is the MINIMUM amount of time, but the longest is about 5 years which beats 400 years a normal plastic takes to break down in a landfill.
From what you wrote in the comment just given, it is painfully obvious that you have not even seen a Larry's Beans Coffee bag. It has a degassing valve on it for releasing CO2 on both the 12 oz. and the 16 oz. sizes. The inks are water based so they are not leaving any chemicals behind.The entire bag structure from adhesives to the film in the bag are ASTM 5511- landfill biodegradable. I am sorry that it takes 9 months to five years to break down into humus. But that is a lot quicker than a normal bag including coffee bags that takes 400-500 years!!! If a product is certified ASTM 5511, that means it is certified to biodegrade in landfill conditions. This is done by an independent lab, so there is no lie to it.
The beauty of this bag is that is does not have heat issues or expiration dates like PLA or oxy degradable bags. When it eventually breaks down anaerobically, it gives off methane which is now harvested in 75% of all landfills for the cheapest energy available today! California now requires all landfills to harvest its methane.So what is the downside? That is made from plastics? The US Energy Commisssion states that only 1.5% of all petroleum used in the US ends up in plastics. PLA uses MORE fossil fuels in its development than plastics but uses energy credits to off-set this. So Mr. Anonymous, do your homework first before you smear a bag that is both innovative and good for the environment. Leslie Harty
Katherine asked for a recyclable package - not a biodegradable package.
It can also be recycled with main stream plastics.
Note: (PLA and oxy's cannot be recycled like that. PLA can only be recycled with other PLA so it cannot be considered.)
I was also answering the slurs made by Mr. Anonymous.
Where can I take these biodegradable bags for recycling? My town will not accept bags in their recycling program.
I save all my plastic bags in my laundry room in a huge bag. This includes paper towel packaging, grocery bags, lettuce bags and any plastic that is used as packaging (and is not
contaminated from any sort of food waste, etc) and
then take then to my local grocery store where they can be recycled and reused.
You are very lucky to have a grocery store that is willing to accept mixed plastics. In our area we have the Giant grocery chain. They only accept accept #02 and #04 plastic shopping bags, dry cleaning bags and newspaper bags (bags that are are made only from polyethylene). They send them to a plastics recycling company that produces composite decking. I believe placing biodegradable plastics into composite decking would ruin it.
If I am not mistaken, the Larry's Bean's "bio-degradable bags" have a degassing valve and a zipper reclosure as well as an adhesive label. To my knowledge, the components of these items are not made of biodegradbale materials. Lady Maverick indicated that she can take all her plastic bags to the grocery store where they can be recycled or reused. Does the grocery store accept packages with valves and zipper reclosure? If so, I would like to know the name of the grocery store.
The degassing valve would have to be removed before recycling. I am still working on getting a biodegradable version developed.The Larry's Beans bags currently use ties, so that should also be removed before recycling. The biodegradable plastic additive that I use will not affect plastic used for recycling. It goes in at a load factor of 1.1% so the overall amount is very little. Please again remember that a normal plastic bag with foil cannot be recycled at all nor can one with any PLA in it.
Interesting discussion. So, what I understand from the above discussion, there is not a recyclable bag capable of going into the recycle waste stream currently available in most areas. There might be a bag that biodegrades in 9-60 months, but first you have to cut out the degassing valve and pull off the tin tie and throw in the trash. I’m guessing the stickers on the bag will also degrade and the remaining ink and adhesive residue will not be harmful??? This clearly points out the fact there is a lot of opportunity to create a new coffee package that is truly innovative.
Biodegradability is a much misused and misunderstood term. LadyMaverick is quite right to state that it must be degradable under "landfill" conditions - i.e. anaerobic - within a time-frame of 9 months to 5 years. This being said, I would find it interesting is someone could provide data illustrating the shelf life of coffee packaged within such a bag over a similar time-period (i.e. 9 months) on a store shelf or in a consumer's larder. My guess is that the shelf-life would be reduced from an hermetic barrier package, precisely due to the same additives and components that promote the package's degradability.
With the Larry's Beans bag, while it is a clear structure, and one that uses mostly water-based adhesives and inks, it is not correct to claim that "The inks are water based so they are not leaving any chemicals behind", as the inks contain dyes, pigments and binders many of which are not soluble in water.
We are using Bio-degradable, fully recyclable, packaging for coffee, nuts and snacks. It can be Metallized - this layer ( 1 micron of vacuum deposited, vaporized aluminum ) oxidizes once the base material has degraded.
It has 80% of the Oxygen barriers of traditional webs and has the same shelf-life. We can add a Bio-degradable Zipper and we are working on the Bio-valve. Our films will degrade fully in a Backyard Compost, Rivers, Lakes & Oceans as well as Landfills with or without Oxygen. They react only with microbes in the soil, water or other rotting organic materials.
PLA is not recyclable and only degrades in Commercial Composts which are scarce.
Oxo-Bio needs 6 Hours of Direct Sunlight and Heat, Moisture, Pressure and OXYGEN to degrade. Then it leaves heavy metals in the soil.
Our solution works very well for all of our customers.
We have been using the PLA lined White tin tie coffee bags up to now, with another polypropylene bag sealed inside with the product. Looking for something that is better, with a zipper that can be used to save the product. Would like something that is recyclable, bio-degradable would be better, but I want to make sure that it is high barrier.
Thanks
Please contact me at sales@maverickent.net [15]. I can get you a biodegradable bag with ziplocks that will be a lot more sustainable than a PLA bag with a liner. Also I can get you OTR's that are much better than PLA bags.
Geetha
We produce Metallized 100% Biodegradable films for snacks and chips. The metallized layer gives it the barriers you need and this layer oxidizes and disappears once the film has degraded.
The films are shelf-stable indefinitely and only degrade when in contact with microbes in soil or water. They have been tested by many Universities and proven to degrade in Landfills, Composts, Rivers, Lakes and Oceans. No other film can make this claim.
We also have a new Foil replacement film that is equally degradable and Biodegradable Zippers.
Contact ; robert@tekpaksolutions.com [16]
Geetha
We have developed a 100% Biodegradable, Compostable replacement for Foil which can be used with our Bio-Zippers.
This would give you a high barrier bag and the ability to dispose of them in Landfills, Backyard Composts or even Water.
Let us know if we can help. Bob Pocius
Hello Bob,
I am interested in your biodegradable coffee bags. Please email me at your earliest convenience.
My Larry's Beans coffee bag will biodegrade in 1-5 years and can be recycled. Please walk down the grocery aisle and look at the bags that are there. We are looking at plastics that will be here in 4-500 years.Which is the better choice? There might be some inks left over, but is that a better compromise to an entire bag? I am working on developing inks and a valve that are biodegradable. I have just finished developing labels that are biodegradable. There is no problem with decreased shelf life with my bag- it is not an oxy or a PLA which have a 1-2 year shelf life.The bag will keep the coffee fresh on the shelf for one year. The Larry's Beans bag is not a clear structure.It is a wonderfully cute bag that has either writing or pictures covering the entire bag including the gussets.Look it up in Packaging Digest, Aug, 2008. It was on the cover.
There is no such thing as coffee that remains fresh for one year in a plastic bag, particularly a clear bag. The moment those beans hit the air from the roaster they begin to deteriorate. When they are bagged in clear plastic, passive lighting, particularly fluorescent light,begins taking its toll on them. Light is BAD for coffee beans, PERIOD! It heats and stales the coffee. I have been in the industry over ten years and have the scientific evidence conducted by some of the top food scientists in the world to validate this. Drink any coffee from plastic packaging that is older than 3 months and you will notice a distinct difference in lack of freshness, and at 6 months you have just thrown away your money.
Larry's Beans' bag is not clear. It has more print than any coffee bag I've ever seen. So it is never exposed to any light that would affect it. That is why all my bags are a solid color or totally covered in print, to prevent this from happening.
And I agree, the longer the coffee stays in the bag, the higher the possibility of it not tasting as fresh as new- even when not exposed to light. However, what you are not taking into consideration is coffee that is packaged and shipped on boats from the growers.That's 2-3 months on the boat, right?
And then when it is sold to a retailer who does not put it out immediately or rotate his stock, we are adding 3-4 months onto the coffee. This is why my bags are made with OTR's (oxygen transfer ratios) that are as low as possible- to keep oxygen out and freshness in.
You can clearly see the coffee beans in a Larry's Beans bag. While the label partially covers the area of clearness, the point is that light still gets in. In the industry this is called a clear bag. Sorry. you're wrong.
The bag has a front area that is 3" x 6" that is clear. The label for the brand of coffee goes in that square. So you are looking at an area that is 1" around this square, max. The rest of the bag is printed. This area that is not printed or covered by a label makes the ENTIRE bag clear? Come on. I have seen bags on the market that are TOTALLY clear. Those bags you should criticise, not one that has a small area not covered by a label.
Bottom line. Light gets in. You can argue how large the area is all you want, and the more you argue the chances are the likelihood you work there and are trying to save face. Coffee and light don't go together. The Larry's bag lets it in. Sorry.
Great dialogue.
What I have gathered from the discussion is there are various types of materials that qualify as being "recyclable" and can be used in making flexible coffee packaging.
I am a graphic designer and member of AIGA. Always trying to advise my clients to "Do the right thing" I am still uncertain how to advise a client (small local organic coffee roaster) who wants to (do good and) use a recyclable coffee bag that will be environmentally conscious, customized (custom printed), protect his product on the shelf and be cost effective.
Many of the discussions I have had with packaging companies have made me think that this is not going to happen. There is no way that they can afford paying $2+ per package for 1 pound of coffee. Especially if they are not mostly recyclable... Cost prohibitive.
I highly recommend some research and development be done to create the solution. There is a ripe market out there for this type packaging. Coffee is not going away anytime soon. Even if the bag is not custom printed, a good solution should be available.
If you have the answer, please contact me. Cheers.
My bags are recyclable with mainstream plastics and landfill biodegradable. I don't know where you are getting $2.00 a unit- maybe from the biobased ones. The last quote I had out for a 2 LB bag was around $.60. Call me 704-291-9474 or email me.
I also am looking for 'greener' coffee bags for my organic coffee in Australia are you able to quote me for 250 gram and 1 kg bags
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[79] http://www.mydarndest.com
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[81] http://www.maverickent.net
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Hey Katherine - that's a tough one. I haven't seen any recyclable solutions, but you may want to check out bags from Fres-co. They incorporate a NatureWorks corn-based polymer that replaces petroleum-based components. Folks like Green Mountain, Jim's Organic, and Newman's Own use them.
Hi Katherine,
if you like email me at richard.smith@amcor.com.au and we can see if we can help you.
Richard
I would like to email you in regard of this. Moreover, Katherine will also email you soon. Also we will speak about recyclable products for coffee industry. Now plastic has become a major problem in this human world so, something need to be done to prevent or currently minimize the problem. Plastic contains harmful Silver Nanoparticles which is not degradable thus creates fatal problem in environment.
Hi Katerine, do you know what the oxygen and moisture requirements are for the coffee you are packaging?
There are some interesting new technologies out there, but packaging will depend greatly on the fill process of the coffee and if the package requires venting for offgassing and also the OTR and WVTR requirements.
We also work with NatureWorks and may have some recommendations.
Katherine, interesting question. I would start with the question; What packaging can be recycled?
Now I don't know about what barrier properties may be required, and therefore my thoughts could be completely wrong, but here are some thoughts still the same.
1. Can you move to a multi-wall paper bag? Fiber packaging is recyclable, assuming you don't put foil or hot stamp artwork on the packaging.
2. PET bottles can be recycled.
3. HDPE bottles can be recycled as well.
In both instances 2 and 3 their could be some restricitions on color, so be aware of this if one of these options is considered feasible.
The underlining concern is the type of claim you wish to make. If you wish to have a package that you can state is recyclable, you need to ensure that a majority of consumers (60%) live in an area where the specific material is reclaimed at a MRF.
I have done this.
There are large minimums.
Think McDonld'd hamburger wrappers...
I have done biodegradable coffee bags that are also recyclable. In this case the one for Larry's Beans was the first. NatureWorks products are made from PLA and can only be recycled with other PLA, so I would avoid them. Contact me at leslie@maverickent.net.
The only recyclable coffee packaging I ever saw was steel or aluminium rigid boxes with an aluminium closure and a plastic cap easily separable by the consumer before sorting. If you want informations about which packaging are recycled and why, see the free website www.pack4recycling.be made by our Green Dot organisation. The informations are based on the european (belgian) experience wich is basically the same in the US.
Katherine -
I would advise you to be careful in this area. Depending on what the format is of your coffee package (rigid versus flexible) the answer will be very different.
On the rigid side you can choose from any number of recyclable materials, but in order to reach the barrier levels you may need the overall wall thickness of the package may be expensive, and actually do more damage than good. For example, if you could use HDPE, it is a very recyclable material, but in order to get the barrier properties you need you may actually have to double or triple the wall thickness, which means using significantly more material. You would have to do a deep dive to determine whether that increase in material actually causes more harm than the benefit of being recyclable.
On the flexible side it is a bit more complicated. While there are materials that theoretically can be recycled the infrastructure does not exist in most areas to handle flexible films. In addition most multi-layer films that would be necessary for barrier requirements (which you are already in) are next to impossible to separate and recycle.
I would encourage you to ask the question a little more broadly and rather than dictating the specific end of life you want (recyclable) ask the question as "How can I improve the environmental footprint of my coffee package?" This will open the door for a lot more options that are probably more realistic.
I hope this helps, let me know if you would like to discuss further.
Katherine,
The question is very interesting because it reflects consumer's perceptions of recyclable being the most important attribute for green packaging or sustainable packaging. As described in the other comments, the format is very important for recyclability. Rigid packages can be handled and sorted much easier than flexibles, and the amount of material that can be recovered is significantly more.
Let's suppose that a single-material bag has the barrier properties needed for the product. The next step would be to separate this material from all other flexible materials that would contaminate it. It is unlikely that enough bags are collected and separated to make the process worth it (environmentally and financially speaking). This is why many people support the idea of waste-to-energy as a good end of life scenario for flexible packaging, in particular when contaminated with product residues.
Another aspect to consider is the amount of material used for the package and the environmental impacts associated with it. A steel can is recyclable and recycled at high rates, but when considering the total resources needed and environmental impact of a heavy can that's only recycled at a certain rate vs. a very lightweight bag, it is very possible that the bag comes out ahead. A good assessment would be required to confirm, and fortunately there are some tools that can be used, like the Sustainable Packaging Coalition COMPASS tool or the Walmart Sustainable Packaging Scorecard.
A good approach would be to confirm whether the bags have less environmental impact than other packages, and then find other ways to reduce the environmental footprint of the packaging.
Hello Katerine,
I am starting to work with a company that would like to enter the coffee packaging industry with small customers here in the US. Even though they do not have the answer to your question, I believe that it would be interesting for both to evaluate what could be done that would satisfy both needs with benefits to all.
Please let me know if you found something and how the search ended.
You should talk to Larry's Beans which is a Coffee company in Raleigh, NC. They make & sell Coffee and use biodegradable bags - Kyley Schmidt is who you can start with. 919-828-1234
Mike Orlowski
Stephen Gould
The bag that Larry's Beans uses is petroleum based and there is question as to whether or not it really biodegrades at the rate their manufacturer claims. They also at one time claimed on their website that it composts in a personal compost and that is just not true. Must be why that claim is gone on the website....I have had one of those "bio" bags in my compost for over a year and it still looks good. The label is still even attached although the print is gone, and the valve isn't biodegradable. Doesn't "bio" mean life???
When you put your newspapers in your compost, do you just dump them in or do you cut them up? You are supposed to cut them up. If you had a head of iceberg lettuce, would you drop the entire head in, or break it up? The same is true of all composting. You just don't drop tree branches into a compost and expect them to break down. What you did wrong was not cutting the bag up so biota could easily get to it, just like you do with any paper item. They never made a claim that the labels or the valves were landfill biodegradable/compostable. I think you need to read up on the proper way to compost items.
The important fact to remember is that the films that make up the bag have passed ASTM 5511 and ASTM 5338.98. If you look them both up, you will see that neither have any times associated with them. They will biodegrade in landfills and compost in backyard composts depending on how active the biota are. However, it sounds like you are not following composting protocols. Which is better for the environment is a no-brainer, however. Yes it does use petroleum. Only 1.5% of all fossil fuels in the US per year end up as plastic. PLA uses MORE fossil fuels than plastic in its development. It buys energy credits to by-pass this fact. And the last time I looked at the BPI website, there were about 100 places in the ENTIRE US to safely compost them. So people are using corn for plastic and ethanol which drives up the cost of food and they end up in landfills where they will last 400 years. GMO's are killing Monarch butterflies and other good insects. The excessive fertilizing of corn with nitrogen has created a Dead Zone the size of the state of New Jersey in the Gulf Of Mexico. So you tell me, which is better: a bag that is certified to compost and break down in a landfill or one that uses our precious food resources and is not sustainable and will more than likely not be composted where it can safely break down?
I'm not clear on the Larry's bean bag. As far as I understand, I have to remove the valve and remove the various stickers on the bag, then cut it up into small pieces in hopes that it might break down in my compost pile anywhere up to 5 years? I think I like the idea of PLA. I understand they are moving away from corn and to other feed stocks. I think this is the better technology vs a oil based products that may or may not break down over 5 years.
You would use a bag made from corn that uses more fossil fuels to make than a plastic bag? That is insane! We are going to renewable resources to get away from the use of fossil fuels. Unfortuantely PLA uses more fossil fuels than a plastic bag. They say they are moving away from corn, but until they do so, it is not a valid choice. That might take years!! There are products made from tree pulp, sugar cane, saw grasses, etc. that are much better options. PLA is misleading the public when it says it does use less fossil fuels when they turn around and and buy energy credits. If the product I use takes 5 years to biodegrade, that is a lot quicker than regular plastics and PLA take when dumped into a landfill- they take 400 yrs minimum. PLA has only 100 locations in the US where it can be safely composted, so it is being dumped in landfills. Independent testing has been done on my plastic with the additive showing it does biodegrade in landfills, so this not a claim, it is a fact. PLA is not backyard compostable at all. Read the article in Smithsonian Magazine, Aug 2006. The Environmental Defense Org stated that PLA is creating more global warming than gasoline. (Nov, 2007). 40 % of Louisiana's fishermen have lost their jobs since 2001 due to the dead zone caused by nitrogen used for fertilizing corn. Smithfield Foods went into Chaper 11 this year because of the high cost of corn, not the recession according to their President. We have now reached 1 Billion people in the world going hungry in 2008. Why? Food costs are up 24% since 2006.That is an 11% increase in one year. A French professor of Bio-Polymer Science, Stephan Gilbert, stated that the use of certain bioplastics that can be used for food sources come with "unwelcome ethical consequences" due the fact they cause increases in the cost of food. Also, please note:my plastic biodegrades anaerobically in landfills where it will create methane. 75% of all landfills in the US now harvest this and make it into a cheap source of energy that is cheaper than wind power. PLA and normal plastic are just sitting there filling up landfills. Mine can be recycled with normal plastic. PLA cannot.So take 3 minutes to cut up the Larry's Beans bag before you compost it. You have to do the same for your newspapers don't you?
Nothing "biodegrades" in landfills. Landfills are lined with and capped with clay so that it is an anaerobic atmosphere. That is why biodegradable packaging is not a real solution to anything if it's thrown into the trash. Biodegradable packaging is mostly a marketing scheme to just make everyone think they are doing a good job.
I am a coffee roaster and what I would like to find is a paper coffee bag, made with post-consumer recycled paper that can in turn be recycled again. Anyone found that ou there?
Katherine
We produce 100 % biodegradable, metallized, fractional web that is Omni-degradable. That is it will degrade in a backyard compost, landfill whether aerated or not, rivers, lakes and oceans.
Considering the very small amount of packaging that is recycled, it is much more likely to end up in a landfill. We also produce paper bags with 100% bio-liners for coffee. Within a few months we are introducing a New Clear High Barrier 100% Bio-film for many applications and this will be recyclable also.
PLA is being used as a middle layer between non-degradable materials for Newman's, etc. Where can that go ?
The BPI states that any PLA film over 0.8 mil. will not compost according to ASTM 6400 standards.
Oxo-bio leaves heavy metals in the soil and requires 6 hours of direct sunlight to initiate degradation, according to the scientist who developed it.
Our films react only with the microbes in or on the soil or water. They remain inert until contact with these microbes. They are shelf-stable as long as regular films. Many companies, large and small have started using or trialling our films. We welcome your business.
I read your post and found it very interesting. My company, Sara Lee, is very interested in using more sustainable films for various products, mainly our bread bags and coffee packages. Can you please provide me with more information on your films?
Amia,
We would be pleased to send you a brochure and samples or come to visit if you prefer. For samples I just need your address.
I know Sara Lee has many plants.
The films we use are made by TekPakSolutions.com.
Kindest regards
Bob Pocius
Amia
I thought my previous reply would show my email address. bobp@grayrockspackaging.com [12]
Thank you.
Innovia Films (www.innoviafilms.com [13]) manufactures NatureFlex™ - a range of certified compostable, cellulose-based, flexible films from renewable resources, which have the technical properties required to package coffee such as moisture barrier, oxygen and aroma barrier etc. Due to our contacts in the printing and lamination industries we can help you to achieve a completely sustainable packaging solution.
All the sustainability claims we make over our NatureFlex™ products can be fully and independently substantiated and certified.
We would be pleased to discuss opportunities with you further – so do either call me on: +1 770 818 3008 or email: roslyn.smith@innoviafilms.com [14]
We tried Metallized Cello films for coffee packaging and brought samples to a customer during the summer. By the time we got there, the packages in the trunk of the car had shriveled up into a ball. Water was accidentally splashed on another sample and it looked like acid had been spilled on it. It was also difficult to form-fill-seal.
We decided this was not the way to go.
Be very careful with all the claims that are being made for coffee packaging. Many are false and misleading. I would suggest referring to Sustainable Packaging Coalition to research this topic. I’ve been in the coffee packaging industry for over 18 years and find myself continually amazed at the level of misleading information being spread on the internet. The Larry’s Beans bag is a great example. If you want a bag that might break down in well over 9 months, can’t degas CO2, leave behind ink and adhesive residue, it might be the right package for you. Please research and understand your options; that would be the best advice I could offer. Also, the old saying remains, don’t believe everything your read (especially on the internet).
What you say is very true- do not believe all you read on the internet. For example, you state that the Larry's Beans bag does not have a degassing valve for CO2. Wrong. It has one. As for the adhesives- they are biodegradable. The inks are water based. I am trying to partner up with someone to mdevelop a biodegradable valve. I have already developed biodegradable labels.
As for false claims, remember back in the 1980's when a can liner claimed biodegradability and the FTC checked it and found it to be false? The same applies here. If these bags were not tested and certified ASTM 5511 for landfill biodegradability, then I'd say yes, there is a problem. But, they are certified ASTM 5511. It might take longer than 9 months which is the MINIMUM amount of time, but the longest is about 5 years which beats 400 years a normal plastic takes to break down in a landfill.
From what you wrote in the comment just given, it is painfully obvious that you have not even seen a Larry's Beans Coffee bag. It has a degassing valve on it for releasing CO2 on both the 12 oz. and the 16 oz. sizes. The inks are water based so they are not leaving any chemicals behind.The entire bag structure from adhesives to the film in the bag are ASTM 5511- landfill biodegradable. I am sorry that it takes 9 months to five years to break down into humus. But that is a lot quicker than a normal bag including coffee bags that takes 400-500 years!!! If a product is certified ASTM 5511, that means it is certified to biodegrade in landfill conditions. This is done by an independent lab, so there is no lie to it.
The beauty of this bag is that is does not have heat issues or expiration dates like PLA or oxy degradable bags. When it eventually breaks down anaerobically, it gives off methane which is now harvested in 75% of all landfills for the cheapest energy available today! California now requires all landfills to harvest its methane.So what is the downside? That is made from plastics? The US Energy Commisssion states that only 1.5% of all petroleum used in the US ends up in plastics. PLA uses MORE fossil fuels in its development than plastics but uses energy credits to off-set this. So Mr. Anonymous, do your homework first before you smear a bag that is both innovative and good for the environment. Leslie Harty
Katherine asked for a recyclable package - not a biodegradable package.
It can also be recycled with main stream plastics.
Note: (PLA and oxy's cannot be recycled like that. PLA can only be recycled with other PLA so it cannot be considered.)
I was also answering the slurs made by Mr. Anonymous.
Where can I take these biodegradable bags for recycling? My town will not accept bags in their recycling program.
I save all my plastic bags in my laundry room in a huge bag. This includes paper towel packaging, grocery bags, lettuce bags and any plastic that is used as packaging (and is not
contaminated from any sort of food waste, etc) and
then take then to my local grocery store where they can be recycled and reused.
You are very lucky to have a grocery store that is willing to accept mixed plastics. In our area we have the Giant grocery chain. They only accept accept #02 and #04 plastic shopping bags, dry cleaning bags and newspaper bags (bags that are are made only from polyethylene). They send them to a plastics recycling company that produces composite decking. I believe placing biodegradable plastics into composite decking would ruin it.
If I am not mistaken, the Larry's Bean's "bio-degradable bags" have a degassing valve and a zipper reclosure as well as an adhesive label. To my knowledge, the components of these items are not made of biodegradbale materials. Lady Maverick indicated that she can take all her plastic bags to the grocery store where they can be recycled or reused. Does the grocery store accept packages with valves and zipper reclosure? If so, I would like to know the name of the grocery store.
The degassing valve would have to be removed before recycling. I am still working on getting a biodegradable version developed.The Larry's Beans bags currently use ties, so that should also be removed before recycling. The biodegradable plastic additive that I use will not affect plastic used for recycling. It goes in at a load factor of 1.1% so the overall amount is very little. Please again remember that a normal plastic bag with foil cannot be recycled at all nor can one with any PLA in it.
Interesting discussion. So, what I understand from the above discussion, there is not a recyclable bag capable of going into the recycle waste stream currently available in most areas. There might be a bag that biodegrades in 9-60 months, but first you have to cut out the degassing valve and pull off the tin tie and throw in the trash. I’m guessing the stickers on the bag will also degrade and the remaining ink and adhesive residue will not be harmful??? This clearly points out the fact there is a lot of opportunity to create a new coffee package that is truly innovative.
Biodegradability is a much misused and misunderstood term. LadyMaverick is quite right to state that it must be degradable under "landfill" conditions - i.e. anaerobic - within a time-frame of 9 months to 5 years. This being said, I would find it interesting is someone could provide data illustrating the shelf life of coffee packaged within such a bag over a similar time-period (i.e. 9 months) on a store shelf or in a consumer's larder. My guess is that the shelf-life would be reduced from an hermetic barrier package, precisely due to the same additives and components that promote the package's degradability.
With the Larry's Beans bag, while it is a clear structure, and one that uses mostly water-based adhesives and inks, it is not correct to claim that "The inks are water based so they are not leaving any chemicals behind", as the inks contain dyes, pigments and binders many of which are not soluble in water.
We are using Bio-degradable, fully recyclable, packaging for coffee, nuts and snacks. It can be Metallized - this layer ( 1 micron of vacuum deposited, vaporized aluminum ) oxidizes once the base material has degraded.
It has 80% of the Oxygen barriers of traditional webs and has the same shelf-life. We can add a Bio-degradable Zipper and we are working on the Bio-valve. Our films will degrade fully in a Backyard Compost, Rivers, Lakes & Oceans as well as Landfills with or without Oxygen. They react only with microbes in the soil, water or other rotting organic materials.
PLA is not recyclable and only degrades in Commercial Composts which are scarce.
Oxo-Bio needs 6 Hours of Direct Sunlight and Heat, Moisture, Pressure and OXYGEN to degrade. Then it leaves heavy metals in the soil.
Our solution works very well for all of our customers.
We have been using the PLA lined White tin tie coffee bags up to now, with another polypropylene bag sealed inside with the product. Looking for something that is better, with a zipper that can be used to save the product. Would like something that is recyclable, bio-degradable would be better, but I want to make sure that it is high barrier.
Thanks
Please contact me at sales@maverickent.net [15]. I can get you a biodegradable bag with ziplocks that will be a lot more sustainable than a PLA bag with a liner. Also I can get you OTR's that are much better than PLA bags.
Geetha
We produce Metallized 100% Biodegradable films for snacks and chips. The metallized layer gives it the barriers you need and this layer oxidizes and disappears once the film has degraded.
The films are shelf-stable indefinitely and only degrade when in contact with microbes in soil or water. They have been tested by many Universities and proven to degrade in Landfills, Composts, Rivers, Lakes and Oceans. No other film can make this claim.
We also have a new Foil replacement film that is equally degradable and Biodegradable Zippers.
Contact ; robert@tekpaksolutions.com [16]
Geetha
We have developed a 100% Biodegradable, Compostable replacement for Foil which can be used with our Bio-Zippers.
This would give you a high barrier bag and the ability to dispose of them in Landfills, Backyard Composts or even Water.
Let us know if we can help. Bob Pocius
Hello Bob,
I am interested in your biodegradable coffee bags. Please email me at your earliest convenience.
My Larry's Beans coffee bag will biodegrade in 1-5 years and can be recycled. Please walk down the grocery aisle and look at the bags that are there. We are looking at plastics that will be here in 4-500 years.Which is the better choice? There might be some inks left over, but is that a better compromise to an entire bag? I am working on developing inks and a valve that are biodegradable. I have just finished developing labels that are biodegradable. There is no problem with decreased shelf life with my bag- it is not an oxy or a PLA which have a 1-2 year shelf life.The bag will keep the coffee fresh on the shelf for one year. The Larry's Beans bag is not a clear structure.It is a wonderfully cute bag that has either writing or pictures covering the entire bag including the gussets.Look it up in Packaging Digest, Aug, 2008. It was on the cover.
There is no such thing as coffee that remains fresh for one year in a plastic bag, particularly a clear bag. The moment those beans hit the air from the roaster they begin to deteriorate. When they are bagged in clear plastic, passive lighting, particularly fluorescent light,begins taking its toll on them. Light is BAD for coffee beans, PERIOD! It heats and stales the coffee. I have been in the industry over ten years and have the scientific evidence conducted by some of the top food scientists in the world to validate this. Drink any coffee from plastic packaging that is older than 3 months and you will notice a distinct difference in lack of freshness, and at 6 months you have just thrown away your money.
Larry's Beans' bag is not clear. It has more print than any coffee bag I've ever seen. So it is never exposed to any light that would affect it. That is why all my bags are a solid color or totally covered in print, to prevent this from happening.
And I agree, the longer the coffee stays in the bag, the higher the possibility of it not tasting as fresh as new- even when not exposed to light. However, what you are not taking into consideration is coffee that is packaged and shipped on boats from the growers.That's 2-3 months on the boat, right?
And then when it is sold to a retailer who does not put it out immediately or rotate his stock, we are adding 3-4 months onto the coffee. This is why my bags are made with OTR's (oxygen transfer ratios) that are as low as possible- to keep oxygen out and freshness in.
You can clearly see the coffee beans in a Larry's Beans bag. While the label partially covers the area of clearness, the point is that light still gets in. In the industry this is called a clear bag. Sorry. you're wrong.
The bag has a front area that is 3" x 6" that is clear. The label for the brand of coffee goes in that square. So you are looking at an area that is 1" around this square, max. The rest of the bag is printed. This area that is not printed or covered by a label makes the ENTIRE bag clear? Come on. I have seen bags on the market that are TOTALLY clear. Those bags you should criticise, not one that has a small area not covered by a label.
Bottom line. Light gets in. You can argue how large the area is all you want, and the more you argue the chances are the likelihood you work there and are trying to save face. Coffee and light don't go together. The Larry's bag lets it in. Sorry.
Great dialogue.
What I have gathered from the discussion is there are various types of materials that qualify as being "recyclable" and can be used in making flexible coffee packaging.
I am a graphic designer and member of AIGA. Always trying to advise my clients to "Do the right thing" I am still uncertain how to advise a client (small local organic coffee roaster) who wants to (do good and) use a recyclable coffee bag that will be environmentally conscious, customized (custom printed), protect his product on the shelf and be cost effective.
Many of the discussions I have had with packaging companies have made me think that this is not going to happen. There is no way that they can afford paying $2+ per package for 1 pound of coffee. Especially if they are not mostly recyclable... Cost prohibitive.
I highly recommend some research and development be done to create the solution. There is a ripe market out there for this type packaging. Coffee is not going away anytime soon. Even if the bag is not custom printed, a good solution should be available.
If you have the answer, please contact me. Cheers.
My bags are recyclable with mainstream plastics and landfill biodegradable. I don't know where you are getting $2.00 a unit- maybe from the biobased ones. The last quote I had out for a 2 LB bag was around $.60. Call me 704-291-9474 or email me.
I also am looking for 'greener' coffee bags for my organic coffee in Australia are you able to quote me for 250 gram and 1 kg bags