What is the most sustainable coffee packaging? We've switched our coffee bags from a paper-plastic composite to a single-plastic one. These seem to be considered more sustainable. But how sustainable are they really? We compared them.
First of all: there's still a long way to go before we achieve truly sustainable packaging. We've discovered that the new packaging hasn't changed much, at least not in terms of our carbon footprint.
After running out of packaging, we were faced with the question: Could we improve in this area? After discussions with suppliers and online research, we decided on mono-plastic packaging as a more sustainable solution.
In the meantime, however, we continued our search and strengthened our sustainability efforts. Internal CO2 measurements brought the topic of packaging back into focus, as it accounts for almost 55% of the roastery's emissions (the measurement already refers to the new packaging). This still corresponds to approximately 4% of the emissions for the entire chain. (Based on an average of conventional coffee from Brazil between 2001 and 2014. Source: ecoinvent )
What is plastic?
Plastics are made from petroleum (and sometimes from natural gas).
Distilling crude oil produces crude petroleum, also known as naphtha. This is cracked to produce ethylene, propene, and butene, which can be used to produce various plastics. (There are different processes for all steps, but we won't go into the details here.)
Monoplastics for coffee packaging are typically based on polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP). They are considered sustainable because, unlike all composite materials (paper/plastic, plastic/plastic, aluminum/paper, etc.), they have one major advantage: they are recyclable.
This means that composite packaging ends up incinerated, while monoplastic packaging might not. Perhaps the argument for sustainable packaging is based primarily on this. Therefore, the big question: how much of our packaging is recycled, and how?
CO2 footprint: New vs. old packaging
You can find more information on CO2 and climate change here . To clarify: CO2e stands for CO2 equivalents and converts the impact of all greenhouse gases into CO2.
This information makes it easier for us to compare footprints. However, it also carries the risk of becoming too fixated on it, keyword: carbon tunnel (more on that another time).
CO2 footprint of individual substances
We'll first examine the emissions of the individual materials. To be meaningful, it wouldn't be correct to consider only the production of the individual materials; instead, every processing step, including disposal, must be considered.
Therefore, we refer here to ecoinvent , a life cycle assessment database with which processes and procedures can be created using LCAs (Life Cycle Assessments) and a study on the topic “Climate Benefits of Material Recycling*)
| material | Emissions manufacturing |
Emissions Recycling |
Emissions disposal/incineration |
| LDPE |
2.14 |
0.7 |
2.7** |
| LLDPE |
1.91 |
0.7 |
2.7** |
| PP |
1.9 |
0.7 |
2.7** |
| PET | 2.83 | 0.7 | 2.7** |
| Glass* |
0.9 |
0.5 |
|
| Aluminum* |
11 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
| Paper & Cardboard* |
1.1 |
0.7 |
0.2 |
This means that for 1kg of our mono-LDPE packaging (which corresponds to approximately 70 250g packs), 2.14 kg CO2e/kg are produced in the production of the raw material.
We couldn't find precise data for further processing, so we rely on a dataset in ecoinvent for the production of packaging film. Further processing accounts for 0.82 kg CO2e/kg.
We do not include a further life cycle and the associated emissions. What we found is that sorting, washing, and melting generate an additional 0.7 kg CO2e per kg. (Source: ecoinvent ) In addition, further processing is included.
What is recycling?
Recycling reuses waste and returns it to the economic cycle. In Germany, recyclable materials are collected in the yellow recycling bag and then further processed. This means they are sorted, cleaned (e.g., the label is removed), and then melted down so they can be reused. A further distinction is made here:
- Reuse: Reusable bottles can be filled up to 50 times
- Material reuse: PET bottles can be melted down and then made into new PET bottles
- Energy reuse: Waste incineration. Not included in the recycling rate.
The sale of recyclable material abroad is included in the quota.
Differences between recycling in Switzerland and Germany
In Germany, packaging waste is separated and collected nationwide in the so-called dual system (the "yellow bag"). As a company that markets packaging, we are obligated to contribute to this system through contributions.
Switzerland is working on a nationwide collection and recycling system called " Collection 2025. " Currently, there is no uniform system in place.
Note 1: In general, the incentive for plastic recycling is low because it involves higher costs and effort than producing new material.
Note 2: The recycling code is for identification purposes and is intended to help consumers sort waste.
Detailed information on recycling can be found here .
Is mono-plastic better than PET?
Does mono-plastic have a recycling rate like PET bottles (92% ***) or does the rate of the German dual system (63% ****) apply, or the plastic packaging rate of Germany 2020 (46.2% *****) or the global rate from the OECD report (9% ******)?
What is the CO2 footprint of the new packaging depending on the recycling rate?
We now calculate the footprint based on the different recycling rates by partially excluding disposal for further processing from the calculation.
| Recycling quota | Emissions per kg |
Emissions per packaging |
| 100.00% |
2.96 |
0.042 |
| 93.00% |
3.15 |
0.045 |
| 63.00% |
3.96 |
0.057 |
| 46.20% |
4.41 |
0.063 |
| 9.00% |
5.42 |
0.077 |
So what do these numbers tell us? On their own, they simply indicate that a high recycling rate is better than a low one. So far, so good.
Interim result: Our bag has a footprint of 0.063 kg CO2e per bag at the current recycling rate in Germany
How high is the imprint of the old bag?
Our old packaging and inventory:
| material | Weight in g/m² | |
|
Paper |
40 |
27.97% |
| PET |
16.8 |
11.75% |
| PE |
76.8 |
53.71% |
| valve | 0.67 |
0.47% |
| Glue and paint | 8.42 |
5.89% |
| Zipper |
0.31 |
0.22% |
| In total |
143 |
This results in 4.49 kg CO2e /kg which corresponds to 0.064 kg CO2e per 250g pack
It can be seen that the paper content has a positive impact on the footprint, as it creates a much smaller footprint in both production and combustion.
The more plastic in the packaging, the higher the emissions.
Are our new bags more sustainable than the old ones?
With the 28% paper content of the old packaging and Germany's current recycling rate, we have improved our CO2e emissions by 54g per kg of packaging. This corresponds to approximately 0.77g CO2e per 250g of packaging.
| Recycling rate Germany 2020 | Emissions from old packaging |
Emissions new packaging |
| 46.20% |
64,257 |
63,481 |
However, transport is not taken into account in the analysis and the processing into mono-LDPE film also appears to be more energy-efficient compared to the production of the stand-up pouch with zipper and valve.
What is the most sustainable coffee packaging?
We haven't been able to answer the following questions yet. New ones are added daily. We're working on gathering information and continuously updating this blog. If you have any questions about sustainable coffee packaging, information, tips, and addresses, please share them in the comments.
- What are realistic values for recycling coffee packaging?
- How does transportation affect the footprint?
- What are the actual emissions involved in producing the packaging?
- How often can our packaging be recycled?
- How high are the emissions for recycling?
- What are the life cycles of the recyclates and their footprints?
Furthermore, we failed to consider the other impacts plastic has (pollution, water consumption, land-use change, etc.) and that even if it doesn't end up incinerated, its negative impact on the environment is enormous. The OECD's global recycling rate is alarming, and it becomes even more alarming when you consider the global plastic production of 367 million tons.
Our goal must therefore be to avoid plastic wherever possible and to separate waste whenever possible in order to achieve high recycling rates.
We've recently started using the new packaging, and until this packaging is used up, we're looking for better alternatives for our coffee: Compostable PLA? Bio-PE, disposable or reusable glass, paper?
Sources
* Hillman, “Climate Benefits of Material Recycling,” 2015 , as of 11/18/22
** DIW, "On the way to climate neutrality: Plastic recycling must be given greater focus", 30.06.21 , accessed 18.11.22
*** BVSE, "PET BEVERAGE BOTTLES: HIGH RECYCLING RATE AND INCREASING USE OF RECYCLED MATERIAL", Nov. 20 , as of November 18, 2022
**** Nörr, "Has the Dual System failed in plastic recycling?", 14.02.2022 , accessed 18.11.22
***** Burger, "Generation and recycling of packaging waste in Germany in 2020", Sept. 2022 , as of November 18, 2022
****** Time, Only nine percent of the plastic used worldwide is recycled, 22.02.2022 , as of: 18.11.22
******* Statista: "Global and European plastics production from 1950 to 2020", 2022 , as of November 18, 2022
