Coffee pods for at-home composting
Canadian Packaging
Sustainability ALPLA Golden Compound GmbHThe capsule and filter fleece can biodegrade in a garden compost within six months
With coffee pod recycling still presenting a challenge to waste management experts worldwide, Austrian plastic packaging products manufacturer ALPLA has come up with the world’s first fully biodegradable coffee capsule that consumers can dispose of in their home compost—eliminating the need for collection altogether.
Featuring unique construction comprising an organically based material and ground natural fibres from sunflower seed shells, the capsule and filter fleece can biodegrade in a garden compost within a maximum of six months, according to ALPLA’s partner Golden Compound GmbH, which has been developing and producing innovative materials from sunflower seed shells since 2014.
According to Golden Compound, the sunflower seed shells are used as a reinforcing compound in the Golden Compound green material—developed by golden Compost to protects fossil resources and reduce the carbon footprint. Composting the capsule generates humus, according to Golden Compound, and the coffee grounds contain valuable plant nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.
First used by Austrian coffee roaster Amann Kaffee, the Nespresso-compatible capsules are available in several colors, and contain no aluminum or any GMOs (genetically-modified organisms), according to ALPLA.
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