Our coffee bags are made of recyclable plastic
In 2019 we launched something very special: Namely, Denmark's first coffee bag made of recyclable plastic: Free of metal and in a new, thinner quality that conserves resources and can be recycled into items like plastic bags, barrels, and buckets! And of course, your coffee will be packed in this as well.
The road to a more sustainable and recyclable coffee bag has by no means been straightforward. Simply because such a thing didn't exist before we embarked on the project several years ago.
Coffee places significant demands on its packaging: it must be airtight and sturdy to preserve the taste and quality of the coffee optimally. In the coffee industry, this challenge has traditionally been addressed by incorporating a metallic layer in the bag. While this has solved one issue, it has also made traditional coffee bags challenging to recycle.
Hence, it was clear to us at BKI that there was a need more sustainable solutions in this field.
FACTS
BKI coffee bags in recyclable plastic
- The bags are metal-free
- 15% less material is used per bag, making the bag thinner
- This has reduced CO2 emissions by 23% for ground coffee bags and 20% for whole bean bags
- The bags are made of a high barrier film of PE and PP plastic, preserving the taste and quality of the coffee optimally
- The bags are recyclable and can be turned into new plastic products like trash bags, barrels, and buckets when sorted as 'soft plastic.'
The analysis report was conducted by the Technical University of Denmark and compared to BKI's traditional coffee bags.
Sustainable solutions create sustainable gains
We decided to contact our long-time partner and foil supplier, Poly Print, and told them that the time had come for us to create a metal-free and recyclable coffee bag together. Soon we began the development process, and for over a year, we tested and fine-tuned a multitude of new foils for coffee bags on our machines and in our production.
Some were rejected after five minutes, and others were tested repeatedly. In total, we created and tested more than 70 prototypes before we were satisfied.
And even though few companies would have been willing to spend so much time and so many resources on a foil, we were determined to make this project a success.
Fortunately, it wasn't just our own gut feeling about the coffee bags that turned out to be good. The analysis report from the Danish Technological Institute left no doubt behind.
Compared to BKI's traditional coffee bags, the material usage had now been reduced by 15%, and CO2 emissions have been decreased by 20-23% depending on the type of bag. All metal had been removed, and the bags now consist of only two recyclable plastic types.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the new coffee bags turned out to optimize our production as well.
The foil runs significantly faster through our production machinery, allowing us to pack even more coffee bags for you every day. Furthermore, the bags are easier to seal, and we have lowered the sealing temperature of the bags by at least 15%, resulting in significant energy savings in our daily operations.
Over all – sustainable gains for both us, you and our shared resources.
Our coffee bags reduce your carbon footprint as well - Help us recycle them!
Because our coffee bags have become thinner and now are made of recyclable plastic, we have not only reduced plastic consumption in our own production but also in private homes, in commercial kitchens, and in businesses.
In typical households and businesses, we discard large amounts of plastic every day. That's why it also benefits you that we have made an effort to reduce our consumption and made our coffee bags recyclable.
If you want to help us recycle your BKI coffee bags correctly, simply sort them as soft plastic. Your local recycling station will ensure they can be recycled into items like garbage bags, bins, and more in the future.
Technical information about our eco-friendly coffee bags
- The film for our coffee bags is a newly developed high-barrier film that has the same or better barrier properties as aluminum foil or a metallized aluminum film.
- This entails that the foil is not mistaken for aluminum foil during waste sorting.
- The foil contains only polyolefin plastic; specifically polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
- Hence, the foil can be disposed of and recycled as a mixed polyolefin.
BKI's coffee bag foil has been tested by the Technical University of Denmark, which has also conducted the environmental and climate calculations. It is possible to access more technical data or ask questions to our subject matter experts.
You are very welcome to contact us here.