Finding a sustainable solution for our packaging to wholesale customers has been challenging to say the least. From 2019, we collected used packs from all our customers, baled these and paid for them to be sent for specialist recycling into new products such as insulation, decking, plant boxes and garden furniture.
In late 2021, the government announced that soft plastics could be recycled where to date only rigid plastic were accepted. We contacted RePak and Panda Waste and learned that that this only applied to mono soft plastic and not composite soft plastics. Traditionally, coffee packs have had a metalized foil laminated to a plastic outer material making them a soft composite plastic which to date is still not recyclable in Ireland. We spent many months trialling recyclable mono material film with success in terms of product quality and bag durability and invested in a new packing machine with fresh new artwork. We launched these in late 2022. Unfortunately, despite previous successful trials, about 1% of the packs were bursting in transit as the recyclable material is not as strong as the foil composite. We are currently experimenting with a stronger recyclable material and will continue to make all efforts to find a sustainable packaging solution for our wholesale customers.
- In late 2022, we also launched our reusable coffee drums and trialled these successfully with one of our wholesale customers. In 2023 we will be trialling these with more customers in 2 coffee types.
Online orders
- We use a re-sealable pouch for all online deliveries and can source these in fully recyclable material. Once current stock is finished in summer 2023, we will supply all 1 kg coffee packs purchased online in 100% recyclable packaging.
- All our retail 250g packs will also change to 100% recyclable packaging in late 2023.
- All our retail 250g tea pouches are made from 100% recyclable packaging.
- All our leaf tea bags are made from 100% compostable material.
- Our products are delivered in 100% recyclable boxes made from FSC certified cardboard with water-based ink print.
Read more about Sustainable Coffee.