For example, McCormick Place and show organizer, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, worked with Dow, the official sustainability partner and the official sponsor of show floor recycling at PACK EXPO International (PEI), to minimize the environmental impact of the event and divert as much waste as possible from landfills.

One of the strongest components of all PACK EXPO exhibitions is roster of educational sessions, and this year was no exception. There were myriad sustainability-related educational presentations at the show, which tackled topics such as sustainable technology and materials innovations, the use of recycled content and renewable materials, transformation of waste, circularity, refill/reuse options, life cycle assessment, sustainable package design, reduction in emissions, extended producer responsibility, and data collection.

In the Plastics Sustainability Through Collaboration session, Patrick Krieger, vice president, sustainability at the Plastics Industry Association (PIA), discussed how the packaging industry is evolving to develop solutions that are more circular and sustainable and how the plastic packaging value chain is coming together to promote innovative products and programs that address industry needs. Krieger said that with regard to sustainability, the plastics industry is focusing on three main areas:

• Promoting a circular plastics economy
• Eliminating plastic in the environment
• Using resources responsibly.

One of the PIA’s newest programs is Operation Clean Sweep, which promotes zero plastic loss, that is, making sure no resin is lost during manufacturing.

In the Sustainability Central pavilion, Amazon – which stated it has reduced packaging per shipment by 41% since 2015 – presented the Elevating Packaging for E-Commerce to Boost Customer Experience session. Amazon executives discussed how to enhance the customer experience while protecting products and minimizing packaging waste. “Shoppers want less packaging, they want it to be recyclable, and they are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging,” said Kirsten Freiheit, head of North America partner engagement, sustainable packaging at Amazon. She shared that although shoppers want reduced packaging, e-commerce packaging needs more protection.

Heather Smith, senior business development manager, sustainable packaging at Amazon informed attendees how companies can improve customer satisfaction with packaging design, so “you can build excitement with the ‘unboxing experience’.” She added that branded packaging enhances customer experience.

The Paper & Packaging Board, which was exhibiting in the Sustainability Central pavilion, highlighted its new campaign to help promote carton recycling. P&PB executives, noting that 89% of consumers prefer paper-based shipping materials, explained that food and beverage cartons are made primarily out of responsibly-sourced paperboard, a renewable, plant-based material, and contain some of the highest quality fiber available in the recycling industry. P&PB’s new program wants companies to add the recycling logo to their carton packages to remind consumers to recycle their cartons. Carton recycling is available to more than 62% of US households and that number is growing every day. Recycled cartons become paper towels, tissues, office and writing paper, and sustainable building materials to name just few of the many products.

There were also a number of sessions dealing with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) or Packaging Producer Responsibility. EPR is a public policy mechanism that requires packaging producers (generally product brand owners) to help fund the recovery of their packaging. How funding is set, what the program goals are and who manages the system differs across the various states that have passed legislation. In 2025, many packaging policies relating to EPR will take effect. For example, California’s EPR law includes specific source reduction requirements for plastic packaging. Several other states are also now considering source reduction requirements though legislation: Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Washington.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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The study, FMCG flexible packaging: accelerating the move from plastic to paper, based on research conducted by PureProfile this past March with 100 UK packaging experts responsible for packaging R&D, technology, design and sustainability for FMCG brands reveals that the majority (92%) plan to stop using plastic in their consumer packaging altogether. The report, which launched at the Rethinking Materials Innovation and Investment Summit in London earlier this year, shows that paper and paperboard are the replacement materials of choice, followed by new polymers, bioplastics, and multi-materials.

According to the research, the shift to paper packaging comes ahead of improving the energy efficiency of operations, biodiversity and reducing the carbon footprint of logistics and reducing water use and waste. Reducing or abolishing plastic use altogether ranked last.

Most respondents said that there is a significant threat to their business if the environmental performance of the packaging used is not improved, with two thirds describing it as high and 31% said it was ‘average’. About 3% said the threat was low. Nearly three quarters (70%) of respondents said that their business faced the risk of reputational damage if they did not improve the environmental performance of their packaging, 67% said they could miss ESG and sustainability targets, and 60% said they would see a drop in market share to competitors.

The research highlighted the risks FMCG brands businesses face if they do not move away from plastic to sustainable materials in their consumer packaging, ranked in order of importance:

The majority (87%) of respondents want the switch to alternative materials to replace conventional plastics to take place faster. However, despite the commitment to move away from plastic, the timeframe for transition is still considerable, with 27% of packaging experts expecting this to happen by 2027, 35% by 2028 and 28% by 2029. Just under one third (30%) described the move to new packaging materials in their business as too slow, 58% labelled it as ‘moderate’ and only 11% said it was fast.

The study finds that currently, the main barriers to using more environmentally friendly options are the higher cost of alternative packaging, which was cited by 53% of respondents, the availability of alternative materials (50%) and ensuring the functionality and product protection remains the same (46%).

When asked what key drivers would help the FMCG sector speed up new material development and implementation, the research showed that 70% of respondents believed that more ambitious recycling targets were key, 62% wanted to see increased investment in new materials, and 54% said greater collaboration to accelerate R&D was needed. Half said that an industry-wide commitment to move away from conventional plastic was necessary, while a further 47% cited tighter environmental regulation through taxation of materials with poor environmental performance was important.

Commenting on the results, Dr John Williams, chief technical officer at Aquapak, said, “It is really encouraging to see that moving to sustainable packaging materials such as paper is the top priority for FMCG brands and a board-level decision when it comes to improving their environmental credentials and mitigating reputational and financial risks of not doing so. Abolishing the wrong sort of plastic use is important and is a long-term target, the change must be balanced as they assess alternative materials and wait for greater clarity around targets and regulation.”

To download the report, click here.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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The capsule body, developed by Greiner Packaging, preserves the freshness of the coffee and is compatible with conventional coffee capsule machines. This solution offers consumers a more sustainable option without compromising on quality or convenience.

“We are committed to pushing the boundaries of sustainable packaging solutions. Our collaboration with Constantia Flexibles on the home compostable coffee capsule embodies our shared vision for a greener future. This innovative product not only meets the high expectations of eco-conscious consumers but also sets a new standard in the industry. We are proud to contribute to a solution that balances convenience and environmental responsibility”, stated Taner Ertan, global business development manager at Greiner Packaging.

Constantia Flexibles’ capsule lidding, EcoPressoLid, boasts several notable characteristics. It offers a high barrier to oxygen, excellent sealing for compostable coffee capsules, and exceptional coffee brewing performance. Furthermore, it is compatible with commonly used capsule filling and sealing machines on the market.

The EcoPressoLid is paper-based, and can be used to seal both the top and bottom of the capsules. Capsule body and lid received the “OK Compost Home” certification from TÜV Austria together as a system.

Peter Wallach, SVP head of business segment processed meat & beverages at Constantia Flexibles, stated, “The EcoPressoLid capsule liner is a significant step towards more sustainable coffee consumption. We are especially proud of our partnership with Greiner Packaging, as it allows us to offer a complete, TÜV Austria certified solution to our customers.”

This partnership between Greiner Packaging and Constantia Flexibles showcases the power of innovation and collaboration in driving sustainability forward. By combining their expertise, the two companies have developed a compostable coffee capsule solution that aligns with consumer preferences.

This joint effort marks a significant milestone in sustainable packaging, paving the way for future advancements in eco-friendly product development.

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The UK-based roaster’s new single-material bags are 100% recyclable and made from 70% recycled materials, which are plastics commonly disposed of in recycling bins.

For every 1,000,000 bags created, the equivalent of 53,000 600ml plastic bottles will be collected from rivers in the Philippines and Indonesia by the ethical recycling programme, Plastic Bank.

Paul Turton, Pact Coffee’s CEO, said: “If climate change continues at its current trajectory, it’s estimated that we’ll see a significant impact on 75% of Arabica supply, which has already fallen short of demand for the past two years”.

“Plastic pollution significantly reduces ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, so reducing our usage, promoting a circular economy and funding schemes like this bag saves is exactly what we need to do to protect the future of coffee and the planet.

There was the option to instead choose ‘compostable’ packaging, and we understand that this is the preference for well-meaning customers.

However, around 90% of people don’t have the means to compost at home, and the growing data shows that lots of this packaging is ending up in landfill or blocking the food recycling process.

For this reason, we’re confident that we’ve chosen the most sustainable option while maintaining the trademark Pact Coffee freshness”.

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Interest in sustainability continues to intensify among consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, contract packagers, suppliers, and OEMs. In fact, sustainability is one of four key priorities identified in Challenges and Opportunities for Packaging and Processing Operations, a report published in October 2022 by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, based in Herndon, Virginia.

Driving forces include concerns about climate change, carbon footprint, waste, ocean plastic litter, and single-use plastics; a desire to establish a circular economy; regulatory efforts worldwide; and an interest in reusable, renewable, recyclable, and recycled-content packaging and products.

An indication of the level of concern about single-use plastics is an advance notice of proposed rulemaking by the General Services Administration (GSA) in the United States (US), an administrative agency that provides supplies and workplaces for federal employees. The proposed rule, Single-Use Plastics and Packaging, would regulate the use of plastics consumed in both packaging and shipping as well as other single-use plastics the agency buys. Comments were due in September 2022 and are being reviewed to determine how the rule will be finalised.

A concept that Europe embraced decades ago, extended producer responsibility (EPR), is gaining favour in the US and other countries. In the US, EPR laws have been passed in the states of Oregon, Maine, California, and Colorado, and regulators are working on implementation. EPR laws are pending in several other US states. At the same time, industry attitudes toward EPR have shifted from negative to positive with groups like the Plastics Industry Association now supporting the concept. The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment, a coalition of packaging industry entities dedicated to improving packaging and the environment and known as AMERIPEN, plans to present a series of webinars about EPR requirements in the US. The series began in February and continues monthly through July 2023.

Globally, there are new EPR requirements in India, Japan, and the United Kingdom (UK). In the UK, data collection has begun in preparation for meeting EPR requirements in 2024.

Progress toward more sustainable packaging

The path to increased sustainability is not necessarily smooth. Hurdles fall into four categories: technical issues, productivity concerns, cost, and environmental awareness. To transition to more sustainable packaging materials, stakeholders must overcome a host of challenges such as security of supply, cost, quality of materials, buy-in from customers and marketing, production efficiency problems, the time and money required to carry out the experimentation and testing needed to ensure the new materials will be successful, and the learning curve involved with implementation.

Stakeholders rely on a variety of tactics to make packaging more sustainable. This includes commitments to recyclable, recycled-content, and/or reusable packaging; replacement of multilayer materials with more easily recycled mono-material structures; interest in biodegradable, compostable, and renewable substrates; source reduction efforts, particularly transitions from rigid to flexible packaging; and carbon footprint reduction.

Materials receiving attention include polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and bio-based polymers. PHA is a renewable plant-based polyester that is biodegradable in soil or marine environments and compostable.

PVA also is biodegradable and compostable, and nontoxic in land and ocean environments. In some cases, it can serve as an alternative to ethylene vinyl alcohol barrier resin. As an extrusion coating on paper or part of a paper lamination, PVA provides strength and a barrier to oxygen, oil, and grease. Its solubility in water makes the resulting paper structures compatible with paper recycling streams.

Bio-based polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polypropylene (PP) are derived from feedstocks based on renewable plants like sugarcane but are equivalent to traditional resins in properties and performance.

On the recycling side, new technologies for the separation and recovery of materials are being developed. This includes marking schemes to expedite sorting for recycling, thermochemical recycling processes, and the collection and processing of plastic waste from the oceans. Meanwhile, demand continues to rise for packaging materials with recycled content. A growing number of plastics with post-consumer recycled content has received a letter of no objection from the US Food and Drug Administration for use in food-contact applications. As a result, it should be relatively easy to source PET, high-density PE, low-density PE, linear-low-density PE, and PP with various levels of recycled content.

To help consumers recycle packaging properly, many US brand owners are adopting How2Recycle labels. Established in 2012 by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, the How2Recycle programme seeks to standardise recycling labelling, divert recyclables from landfills, and educate consumers.

A successful transition to more sustainable packaging depends on considering sustainability from the beginning. Nerida Kelton, vice president Sustainability & Save Food at the World Packaging Organisation (WPO), explains, “to apply recyclable packaging design, a certain fundamental knowledge of sorting and recycling processes is necessary. Packaging must, therefore, be suitable for state-of-the-art sorting and recycling processes in addition to its basic functions (eg, storage, transport, product protection, product presentation, and convenience).”

Guidelines from WPO help designers consider these factors early in the product development process and ensure the resulting packaging poses no issues when recycled in existing streams. WPO’s “Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide” is now available in seven languages with the recent addition of Arabic, Spanish, and Czech translations to the existing offerings in English, German, Georgian, and Hungarian. Ayman Sbeih, chairman of the Palestinian Federation of Paper & Packaging Industries and coordinator of the Arabic translation, said, “Translating the Global Packaging Design for Recycling Guide into Arabic was extremely important to ensure that we take steady steps based on scientific foundations to achieve a circular economy. This will contribute to addressing challenges that face the world in terms of climate change, the environment, and the preservation of natural resources.”

Beyond packaging

For many beverage brand owners, sustainability initiatives extend far beyond packaging to include commitments to zero waste to landfill, net zero greenhouse gas emissions, energy/water conservation, and adoption of renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power.

Other associated goals involve corporate citizenship and include ethical business practices, diversity, and Fair Chance hiring, which provides employment for those with criminal records. Other tactics include compliance with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and participation in organizations such as the Ellen Macarthur Foundation and the Science Based Targets initiative associated with the Paris Climate Agreement.

• Jorge Izquierdo is vice president, market development at The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, which organises the Pack Expo portfolio of packaging and processing shows. This year’s Pack Expo will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, 11-13 September. For more information, visit: packexpolasvegas.com. To learn more about PMMI, visit: www.pmmi.org.

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“Over the past years, we have aligned our investments and strategy to meet our customers objectives and goals, says Alex Hayden, senior VOP, R&D, Innovation and Sustainability. The ASTRA Center is at the core of our operations to drive growth and innovation and be the sustainability partner to our customers. The many tests, instruments, and technology available to us provide enhanced product development knowledge through the entire process of flexible plastic packaging design, allowing the development of innovative films for sustainability, e-commerce, and more.”

Thanks to four different state-of-the-art R&D labs and a team of sustainability gurus, brand owners and retailers can benefit from a deep expertise in compostable, recyclable, and recycled content packaging, increased speed to market from concept to commercialisation, optimised solutions for performance and cost, and turnkey packaging solutions.

The Analytical and Testing Services Lab performs physical testing to simulate real life use of the package from filling to transportation and distribution. It also measures shelf life and consumer end use with analytical testing to develop molecular structures that meet the packaging functionality requirements throughout its entire life cycle.

The Applications and Packaging Development Lab is a dedicated lab equipped with a nine-layer blown-film extrusion line which allows designed experiments and optimisation of film formulations. The lab also includes FFS machinery to perform production-scale customer prototypes. This FFS testing is designed to gain insights on how films will perform, avoid any surprises on customers’ equipment, and ensure packaging performance and efficiency once the development stage is completed.

The Advanced Compost Lab is the first of its kind within a packaging manufacturer and is fully integrated with the R&D team’s expertise and knowledge to develop the next generation of packaging, and improve the turnaround time and cost for certifying compostable packaging. The lab is accredited, under independent auditing, to conform to ISO 17025 and is equipped to test and meet ASTM 6400 standards for compostable packaging.

The Recycling Technology Lab, expected to be fully operational in 2022, will complete the R&D suite of expertise with an in-house recyclability assessment lab. The lab will measure each aspect of a package designed for industry accepted criteria, to ensure that it is truly recycling compatible, per the design guidelines available in the industry. The lab will include an extruder, a recycled-plastics pelletiser, and will allow the team to analyze post-consumer resin, waste source, and gel count for better results and package performance.

In addition, the ASTRA Center is key to TC Transcontinental Packaging’s sustainability agenda to deliver on its 2025 commitment to have 100% of its packaging recyclable, compostable or reusable, and achieve a 10% use of PCR on average by weight across its plastic portfolio.

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Once used, the pods can be covered with damp soil and will decompose in a month, or they can safely be put into the food waste bin.

The pods, designed for use in coffee machines, can be filled with the customer’s choice of coffee. A rack carries up to 10 empty pods, so customers can fill enough pods for a day, or a week, depending on their coffee drinking habits. The chosen coffee is poured into the pods, tamped down, and the top stuck on.

The eco-friendly pods are designed to be used with Nespresso machines. The benefit of self-filled coffee pods is that customers can choose their favourite roasted coffee beans and have the confidence of knowing that their empty pods are fully sustainable.

Customers choosing to make their own pods, are not only being more environmentally friendly and getting the exact coffee they want, but they can also save money. A starter pack that includes the tray plus 75 pods and lids is £23.35 + VAT, and refill packs of 75 pods and lids are £8.60 + VAT.

Limini Coffee aims to dispatch all orders for next day delivery with DPD and Royal Mail, or customers can collect directly from their Yorkshire roastery.

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As much as 95% of the new carton pack is linked to plant-based raw materials such as paperboard made from renewable and responsibly sourced wood and polymers linked to wood-based tall oil, a residue extracted from wood in the paper making process. Besides that, all three main materials are certified as 100% responsibly sourced. The paperboard is FSCTM-certified, the polymers certified via an independently certified mass balance system and the aluminium certified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI). The closure is linked to plant-based polymers, too. An independent lifecycle assessment shows that SIGNATURE reduces the carbon footprint of carton packs (more information at www.sig.biz).

Volker Bubacz, head of Market Area BeNeLux and UK at SIG, said: “We are incredibly proud of the next step on our journey with Coca-Cola in the Netherlands and to contribute to both the commercial and sustainability ambitions of Fuze Tea with the transition to our SIGNATURE packaging solution, that reduces the carbon footprint of the packaging.”

The move to aseptic carton packs linked to 100% responsibly sourced materials is in line with Coca-Cola’s sustainability ambitions. Coca-Cola in the Netherlands has long been working on making all its packaging more sustainable, such as reducing unnecessary packaging and using more sustainable materials.

Joris Hendriks, director, commercial development at Coca-Cola European Partners Netherlands, commented: “Sustainability is at the heart of Fuze Tea. Of course, this applies not only to the ingredients of Fuze Tea itself, by only purchasing Rainforest Alliance certified tea and by using the method of preparing infused tea, but also when looking at the packaging. Fuze Tea is available in a variety of packaging solutions, from aseptic carton packs, PET bottles made from 100% recycled plastic rPET and cans to returnable glass bottles. We always look for the most suitable packaging and the most sustainable solution available for any purpose of use.”

Coca-Cola European Partners has the ambition to become climate-neutral across the entire value chain by 2040. Over the past ten years, Coca-Cola European Partners has already reduced its CO2 emissions by 30% through initiatives in the areas of transport, cooling, production and packaging. For the next ten years, the goal is to reduce emissions by another 30%. To realise these broad ambitions, partnerships with suppliers are essential. Fuze Tea’s new carton packs were created in close cooperation with SIG.

The SIGNATURE packaging material is one of the milestones in SIG’s journey to go Way Beyond Good by putting more into society and the environment than it takes out.

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This sustainable film includes 33% of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, is close to par with virgin plastic resin performance and is pre-approved by the How2Recycle for in-store drop-off. This PCR-containing film also has lower impact on the environment compared to a virgin Integritite shrink film. Through a life cycle assessment using the COMPASS Comparative Packaging Assessment software developed by Trayak LLC and endorsed by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), the analysis shows that the Integritite 33% PCR collation shrink film:

• Uses less fossil fuel, in particular because using PCR resin displaces virgin polymer production, reducing the use of fossil fuel feedstocks as raw materials;
• Lowers greenhouse gas emissions, because using PCR resin displaces virgin petrochemical-based resins, reducing GHG emissions caused by the processing of raw materials;
• Uses less water, because processing PCR resin requires less water than manufacturing virgin resin.

“It is very exciting and gratifying to receive such an award and to be recognised by our industry peers in developing sustainable packaging solutions,” said Rebecca Casey, senior vice president, Marketing & Strategy at TC Transcontinental Packaging. “This award is a tribute to our collaborative approach between our cross functional teams, The Coca-Cola Company, and the co-packer. This partnership drove collaborative innovation. We created value for recycled plastic waste, we pushed the bar further in sustainability, and we maintained our circular economy objectives as a top priority.”

This sustainable packaging was first commercialised in Fall 2020 in collaboration with AHA Sparkling Water, a brand of The Coca-Cola Company, and can be found on select Sam’s and BJ’s Club Store shelves in Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Delaware.

As signatories of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, TC Transcontinental shares the vision that plastic never becomes waste. This award-winning product shows the company’s commitment to developing sustainable packaging and reaching its goals of achieving, by 2025, a 10% use of PCR content on average by weight, across all plastics in its product basket.

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Building on the significant progress over the past decade (pdf, 4 Mb), Nestlé has now pledged to increase its sustainability efforts.

Philipp Navratil, senior vice president, head of Beverages Strategic Business Unit, said: “Together with our partners and 230 Nescafé agronomists, we improved efficiency and agricultural practices on farms, enabling farmers to command a premium price for coffee grown sustainably. We diversified sources of farmer income to reduce their dependence on monocultures and to make them more resilient. We will not stop here. Our programmes will evolve toward better social conditions in and around coffee farms. We will double down our efforts on labor rights, child protection, youth and women empowerment.”

By 2025, Nescafé expects to have 100% responsibly sourced coffee, tracing it back to an identified farmer group. The coffee is verified or certified by independent organisations.

Nescafé will reduce and remove carbon emissions where it sources coffee and throughout its operations. Nescafé says it will also use environmentally friendly packaging. These are steps that will help Nestlé reach its 2025 packaging commitment and its 2050 net-zero ambition.

Nescafé’s partner, Rainforest Alliance, evaluates activities in coffee-sourcing regions worldwide to ensure they positively impact farmers’ lives. Rainforest Alliance regularly monitors farmers’ adoption of good practices and the evolution of related indicators like productivity.

“Our partnership with Nestlé on the Nescafé Plan is about improving and optimising coffee farming. Working together with the Rainforest Alliance on training, monitoring and evaluation, Nescafé used data and evidence to adapt its activities with the coffee farmers. We are delighted to be their partner on this journey,” said Alex Morgan, chief markets officer, Rainforest Alliance.

Through implementing the Nescafé Plan since 2010, Nestlé has achieved the following:

• Currently, 75% of coffee for Nescafé products is responsibly sourced. In 2020, Nescafé purchased more than 649,000 metric tons of responsibly sourced coffee, the largest volume from a single coffee buyer;
• Distributed 235 million high-yielding and disease-resistant coffee plantlets, exceeding the initial objective of 220 million. This contributed to the renovation of nearly 120,000 hectares of coffee farms worldwide;
• Developed and released 15 new Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties in five countries: Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Philippines and Thailand. These plant materials have higher productivity, resiliency and superior quality;
• Delivered more than 900,000 farmer training sessions on good agricultural practices. The objectives were to optimise productivity and costs, improve quality and reduce the environmental footprint through efficient irrigation methods or pruning techniques;
• Empowered more than 10,000 women and young farmers through leadership programs and training on household economic planning;
• Reinforced the business skills of more than 10,000 farmers with a focus on financial literacy, record keeping and entrepreneurship.

Nestlé will publish a new and expanded Nescafé sustainability roadmap before the end of the year. The company says it will continue to work diligently to foster a more robust and sustainable coffee sector.

Download the report here: “Our sustainable journey – Ten years of the Nescafé Plan.”

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With this funding, NEXE Innovations will be able to focus on Phase 2 of its project, which supports:

• Scaling up the manufacturing process of its Nespresso–compatible pods, and
• Improving the compatibility of bioplastics derived from wood-based biomass for early-stage commercialisation.

As part of Phase 1, NEXE developed a completely plant-based and compostable single-use coffee pod from bioplastic wood fibre.

Natural Resources Canada collaborated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to develop this challenge as part of the Domestic Plastics Challenge under the federal government’s Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC). ISC is a $100 million programme dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing innovative and sustainable solutions to complex environmental challenges. The Government of Canada may then act as a first customer, helping these small businesses to commercialise their innovations, scale up their businesses and create good jobs for Canadians.

“Our government is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses. It is becoming increasingly important to invest in sustainable solutions that will support not only our economy but also our environment. When our government invests in innovative and sustainable work from small businesses like NEXE, we are growing the economy, building Canadian technological leadership and contributing to Canada’s fight against global warming,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne,
minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

Dr Zachary Hudson, chief scientific officer at NEXE Innovations, commented: “We are grateful to the Government of Canada for this award, which reflects its commitment to nurturing innovative, Canadian-made solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems. At NEXE, we have developed and validated sustainable plant-based materials that are better for the environment without compromising on the needs of the consumer. We look forward to bringing them to market with the support of Innovative Solutions Canada.”

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