Over the past few years, we've seen a massive shift in coffee packaging. With many brands now pushing the boundaries of their packaging, it's not uncommon to see coffee packaged in paint tins, medicine bottles, or even bags, packed in boxes, shipped in bags. So why, after nearly 12 years, are we still committed to sending your coffee in our little brown bags? Let's take a look!
Our Environmental Goals
It's no secret that we're carving our own path to becoming the most sustainable specialty coffee roastery that we can be. As part of the B Corp Climate Collective we're committed to achieving Net Zero by 2030. We've already begun putting process in place to achieve this. Last year we published our first every carbon footprint report, setting a baseline for our emissions. Since then we've been working to create a reduction strategy, to reduce our emissions to the lowest they can be, though positive change in our internal processes. Less time & money spent on constant rebranding and advertising, allow us to divert time and funds to the processes that will help us achieve our net zero goal. Things like, reusable tubs for local deliveries and the packaging we use for our coffee all tie into the bigger picture of achieving these goals.
Fully Compostable?
Ok, cards on the table in this section. The truth is, fully compostable plastic does not currently exist in an attainable amount. It's not currently possible to source coffee packaging which is fully home compostable. Trust us, we've tried! The journey to more sustainable packaging even led us to a fully paper recyclable, UK manufactured packaging solution which we have tested and unfortunately found to not be satisfactory in terms of practicality and quality. Our current packaging is made from recyclable kraft paper with an inner lining of compostable plastic (PLA polylactic acid), made with renewable energy and fully fossil fuel free(because it is starch based and not petroleum based plastic). The compostable plastic we use is certified with the Austrian, European certification standard (TÜV Austria OK COMPOST),which is the highest certification currently for plastics like these.
Quality Matters
There's so many different touch points that contribute to a cup of coffee you drink every day. From producers, to importers, all the way to our roastery, it would be a shame if we fell at the last hurdle by putting your coffee in insufficient packaging. The coffee we buy is of extremely high quality, and we want to make sure it remains that way until your very last cup. Our packaging is airtight with a two way valve, with the only solution to achieving this being a plastic seal. Airtight packaging is extremely important as if oxygen enters the bag then the coffee will begin to stale quicker, and we don't want you drinking stale coffee!
Staying True To Our Values
We've never been one for following trends, or making change for changes sake. Our core values of People, Planet, Product are intertwined in everything we do, and that includes our packaging. We're constantly researching, trialling and actively looking for more sustainable ways to combat packaging waste in the coffee industry. We don't see recyclable plastic as a suitable solution to the packaging problem as we have goals to become a plastic free company. No matter what form our packaging may take in the future, always know that we'll always put the planet first in the decisions that we make.
Looking for your very own little brown bag of delicious specialty coffee?
Sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with our latest news.