FAQ Kaffeemacher:innen coffee packaging
What material is the new bag made of?
The new coffee bag is made of 100% LDPE (low-density polyethylene), making it a mono-material plastic.
How do I dispose of the coffee bag correctly?
Mono-material plastic is fully recyclable when disposed of correctly. Therefore, the goal must be to ensure the bag does not end up in an incineration plant but is recycled instead. This reduces CO₂ emissions and ensures efficient resource use.
In Germany, the bag can simply be disposed of in the "Gelber Sack" (yellow bag) recycling collection.
In Switzerland, there are private companies at the municipal and cantonal level that organize collection (via bags or at collection points). Please check the situation in your local area.
Note: In Switzerland, work is underway on the nationwide collection and recycling system known as "Sammlung 2025". Currently, there is no uniform system in place yet.
How do I dispose of the coffee bag if I don't have a plastic collection service?
If the bag ends up in household waste, it will not automatically be incinerated. Usually, a separation process takes place here as well, but it is not quite as efficient.
The old packaging was partly made of paper. Isn't that more sustainable than one made only of plastic?
Yes and no. The old coffee bag was made of a so-called composite material. This means a layer of plastic was applied to the inside of the paper and bonded to it. This resulted in a heterogeneous material consisting of two different components. The major problem with these composite materials is that they generally cannot be returned to the circular economy. Incidentally, this issue also exists when recycling other composite materials, regardless of the combination of materials they are made of.
Therefore, a bag made of mono-material plastic is theoretically more sustainable. However, this calculation only works if we assume a high recycling rate. If the bag goes directly to incineration, a paper-plastic blend 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. Doesn't that mean the packaging is no longer a mono-material plastic?
Yes and no. The paper label is glued on and not firmly bonded to the plastic as it would be in a composite material. During the recycling process, it peels off and is separated from the plastic as slag. The bag without the label can therefore be fully recycled. This path is not perfect, but after weighing the alternatives, it is the most practical and sensible solution for our internal processes.
Is this the best and most sustainable coffee packaging?
No. But we continue to think deeply about how we can improve our packaging in the future and reduce its footprint.
