Compostable coffee pods

The number of used single-serve pods sent to landfills last year could have circled the Earth 13 times. Canadian retail giant Loblaw is tackling this issue by stocking compostable single-serve coffee pods.

Toronto-based coffee roaster Club Coffee created President’s Choice single-serve coffee pods with support from the University of Guelph Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC).

The pods are made almost entirely from plant materials and reclaimed coffee bean skins, and are compatible with most Keurig brewing systems.

A U of G team led by BDDC director Amar Mohanty developed a key component: the ring that holds the pod in place in a coffee brewer. It’s made with coffee chaff, the skin of the coffee bean that comes off during the roasting process.

Made from plant-based resins, the coffee chaff ring and the entire single-serve pod are designed to be fully compostable. Certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), the largest independent certification organisation for compostable products in North America, the pods meet international standards for compostability. Club Coffee is the first manufacturer to earn BPI certification for single-serve pods.

“This innovative coffee pod not only addresses issues of environmental sustainability but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels,” Mohanty said

The BDDC uses renewable agricultural products as alternatives to petroleum-based sources to make products ranging from car parts to storage bins and eco-friendly packaging materials.