Home-compostable capsules

Whether used for coffee, tea, or baby food, capsules made from aluminum or plastic are now a must-have in many households. To improve their ecological footprint, Greiner Packaging has developed a solution made from compostable polymer, so that customers can easily dispose of used capsules in their own backyard compost heap.

Advantages

Precise production process and excellent barrier properties

Using injection molding technology, Greiner Packaging has a precise production process in place which guarantees optimal handling of the capsules in terms of logistics, filling, and consumption. The material in use has very good barrier properties and protects the content perfectly from external influences such as oxygen penetration, which extends the shelf life and ensures that optimum flavor is retained.

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Perfect dosage as a sustainability benefit

When it comes to sustainability, many people are critical of capsules – but this form of packaging is more environmentally friendly than its image might suggest. After all, capsules provide the product with the best possible protection, preventing it from spoiling and going to waste. The coffee inside the capsule is precisely measured, with one capsule per cup meaning that the consumer never uses too much coffee or too much water – which is a very important fact in terms of sustainability as the product typically accounts for multiple times the CO2 emissions than the packaging. Moreover, measurement by cup makes cold coffee left over in the pot, which no-one actually drinks, a thing of the past.

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Compostable in consumers’ backyard

Following extensive research and testing, Greiner Packaging has developed capsules made from a compostable polymer, which easily disintegrate in a home composter and feature excellent barrier properties.

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It was important to us to find a solution that would meet our high-quality standards for product protection and would also be sustainable, environmentally friendly, and user-friendly

Taner Ertan

International Business Development Manager bei Greiner Packaging

TÜV certification

Numerous tests have confirmed that the Greiner Packaging capsules meet the high standards required for the “OK Home Compost” certificate, awarded by TÜV Austria Belgium NV.

Biodegradable products on the rise

“Organic material accounts for around 50% of all household waste. That figure will loom even larger in the future due to the increasing popularity of biodegradable products, such as packaging materials and disposable cutlery. We want to make a contribution here, too,” Ertan adds.

Facts

A compostable polymer is used for producing the capsules. The polymer itself holds the “OK Home Compost” certificate since 2021.

Home-compostable capsules are produced using injection molding technology.

The capsules can be offered in various colors, for example:

Due to excellent barrier properties our capsules ideally protect their contents for several months, and even after that aroma protection is still very good.

OK Home Compost certificate is awarded to products that can be physically disintegrated in a well-managed home compost system (around 20-30^oC) within 6 months by at least 90%. Biodegradation of these fragments occurs within maximum 12 months. Coffee as well as packaging turn into humus which fertilizes soil.