Our new (home compostable) bag
We were putting over 30,000 plastic coffee bags into the world each year. This made us feel bad and didn’t align with our values. So we changed our bags.
Sometimes we take for granted that coffee bags really are single use plastic bags. I avoid Ziplock bags like the plague, but have no issue picking a plastic coffee bag off the shelf. Probably because I’m addicted to the contents inside!
In re-launching Upcountry Coffee, we knew one of the core Tenets had to be home compostable bags
Many people in Hawaii compost, and there’s just something about a bag disappearing that’s so awesome. Plus, compostable packaging is getting to the point where (if sourced directly), you can get fairly close to the price of plastic. We didn’t want to raise our prices because of the new bags.
Some of the details
Is there a perfect answer?
Outright, no, there is no perfect answer in coffee packaging. Perhaps it would be strictly paper (kraft) bags, but freshness of the beans would be compromised, as there would be air transfer in the bag. While we think our new bags are great, we’re constantly looking for even better solutions.
Materials
Our bags have an uncoated kraft paper exterior. They feel like paper because they are paper. The interior liner, which keeps the coffee fresh (and keeps any oils from penetrating the kraft outer layer) is a combination PBAT + PLA. In layman’s terms, those are two bioplastics that play well together. PBAT breaks down fast (even faster than a banana skin!), and when mixed with PLA helps increase the bag’s flexibility and rate of composting. This combo is home/garden compostable. We have some bags composting in our home compost bin right now!
We’ve eliminated stickers
Stickers suck in many ways. They’re labor intensive to put on. They’re expensive. And they’re plastic, unless you buy compostable. However, stickers do allow you to print a single bag (at a high quantity) for many different roasts. We decided to try custom printed bags for each roast because we wanted them to have their own identities – each bag a tribute to part of our home island we love.
How do I home compost them?
Our guidance for the quickest home compost is to cut out the zipper and the valve and drop them in your compost. However, you can leave the valve and zipper intact if you don’t mind waiting a little extra time for them to fully compost.
If you live in a locale that has industrial composting, you can decide whether you’d rather home or industrial compost them.
Other thoughts
The bags just feel good in your hands. They feel natural, and the colors are derived from natural landscapes. The bags are simple, yet elegant.
Moisture – because the bags are uncoated (which helps in the composting process) if they get rained on, you may notice water spots. Water won’t penetrate to the beans though. We felt like this aesthetic trade-off was acceptable.
Where we’re headed
We are always learning and we’ll never be perfect. Every bag order we make, we’ll be on the lookout for new technology, materials, and manufacturers. Keeping our packaging as sustainable as possible is one of our top priorities. Thanks for reading!