Recently, New England Coffee Co. launched a compostable coffee capsule developed by PurPod, aimed at reducing plastic waste and meeting the needs of environmentally conscious coffee enthusiasts. PurPod100 capsules can be used in conjunction with Keurig K-Cup coffee machines and come with a bio based mesh filter for commercial composting without the need for disassembly. The capsule is made of three biobased materials: the lid is made of cellulose film, the mesh filter is made of thermoformed polylactic acid (PLA) based material, and the brown ring is made of proprietary resin made from coffee bean skin or husk.
The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certifies that these capsules meet or exceed the internationally recognized commercial compostable ASTM D6868 standard, ensuring that they decompose in the shortest possible time, are non-toxic to soil, and comply with chemical regulations. The Composting Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) conducted on-site testing of these capsules in food waste composting facilities and certified that they can be rapidly and completely degraded.
Compared to traditional capsules, mesh filters can provide fresher coffee flavors and richer aromas, as brewing coffee with plant filters is more like drip filtering with a filter. The company has used PurPod100 capsules for all single flavors, including breakfast blends, blueberry pies, caramel macchiato, and hazelnut cream. Most of the products are currently on shelves and are expected to be fully transitioned by October 2024.
Jim Kaloyanides, Senior Vice President and General Manager of New England Coffee, said, "We are pleased to announce that our brand's two main goals - to continue improving the taste of coffee while using more environmentally friendly packaging - have been fully integrated through the launch of mesh compostable coffee capsules
Kaloyanides was one of the family members who founded New England Coffee in 1916. New England coffee is now owned and operated by the fifth generation family business Reily Foods.
