FAQ Coffee Packaging Coffee Makers
What material is the new bag made of?
The new coffee bag is made of 100% LDPE (low-density polyethylene) and is therefore a mono-plastic.
How do I dispose of the coffee bag correctly?
Mono-plastic is fully recyclable if disposed of correctly. Therefore, the goal must be for the bag to be recycled, not incinerated. This reduces CO₂ emissions and efficiently utilizes resources.
In Germany, the bag can simply be disposed of in the yellow bin.
In Switzerland, at the municipal and cantonal levels, there are private companies that organize collection (in bags or at collection points). Find out what the situation is like in your place of residence.
Note: In Switzerland, work is underway on the nationwide collection and recycling system "Sammlung 2025". Currently, there is no uniform system here.
How do I dispose of the coffee bag if I don't have plastic collection?
If the bag ends up in household waste, it is not automatically incinerated. Here, separation usually also takes place, but it is not quite as efficient.
The old packaging consisted partly of paper. Is it not therefore more sustainable than if it only consisted of plastic?
Yes and no. The old coffee bag consisted of a so-called composite material. This means that a layer of plastic was applied and bonded to the inside of the paper. This resulted in a heterogeneous material consisting of two different materials. The big problem with these composite materials is that they usually cannot be returned to the circular economy. This problem also exists with the recycling of other composite materials, no matter what combination of materials they consist of.
Thus, a mono-plastic bag is theoretically more sustainable. However, the calculation only works if we assume a high recycling rate. If the bag goes directly to incineration, a bag made of a paper-plastic mixture is better for the environment.
You can find more details on this topic in our blog post: Our new, "sustainable" packaging.
The label is made of paper. So the packaging is no longer made of mono-plastic?
Yes and no. The paper label is glued on and is not firmly bonded to the plastic like with a composite material. During the recycling process, it detaches and is separated from the plastic as slag. The bag without a label can therefore be fully recycled. This approach is not perfect, but after weighing the alternatives, it is the most practical and reasonable solution for our internal processes.
Is this the best and most sustainable coffee packaging?
No. But we are constantly considering how we can improve our packaging in the future and reduce its footprint.
