by Tashko Mihaylov
If you can’t control the waste stream, what you can control is what it’s made from.
When it comes to single use packaging there isn’t a perfect solution.
Slideshow photo credits: Bambú
Single use should be avoided but we use it daily for our takeaway food and drinks. People in UK drink 70 million cups of coffee per day, and this year, sustainable packaging was definitely one of the trends at at London Coffee Festival. Companies offered creative approaches towards packaging and helped business owners make the right decision.
“We are all about doing better for the planet, we work with independent cafes and restaurants to help them figure out what is the best sustainable solution for them,” said Madeline Robbins a spokeswoman for LondonBioPackaging, at LCF.
LondonBioPackaging offer two range of products - Sustain which are compostable products made from plants and Revive — recyclable packaging made from old recyclable packaging. They also recognise the challenges that we are facing such as the lack of composting facilities and the lack of interest of using recycled plastic to create new products.
“There is no perfect solution but we stand for progress and we ask ourselves every day: “if there’s no perfect solution is that an excuse to do nothing?” No,” says Robbins.
Other companies such as Pouch Packaging Ltd are also pioneering in coffee packaging and are offering a wide range fo recyclable stand up pouches with zipper and bio-based pouches will also be available this summer.
“We understand that more companies are interested in pouches that are more friendly to the environment so we decided to create some. They keep your coffee fresh for longer as well,” says Metin Konfidan, Account manager and spokesman for the company.
The coffee business are not the only one that creates smart packaging solutions. SaltWater Brewery introduced edible and biodegradable beer packaging alternative to the plastic last year that holds their six-packs of beer together. Using wheat and barley that are left over from the brewing process, the six pack ring can feed marine life if it ends up in the oceans.
Other major environmental trend at London Coffee Festival included choosing alternative milk over cow milk with companies like Alpro and Oatly finding new ways make your dairy free coffee and finding the best way to reduce waste by buying a reusable cup and recycle single use cups.
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