Europe is currently the world’s largest coffee market, accounting for 32% of global coffee consumption. As such, single-serve coffee capsules have become increasingly popular with billions of them consumed yearly in the EU. Their production numbers also reflect this, having increased almost fourfold from 2018 to 2022, with Europe as the major player in material innovation in this field. More than one hundred different types of coffee capsules are already certified ‘industrially compostable’ (in line with EN 134324 ) according to well-established and independent certification schemes.
Organic recycling is the most environmentally-sound end-of-life option for single-serve coffee units. Several independent studies prove that compostable coffee capsules are far more environmentally beneficial when compared to aluminium ones or those made from conventional plastics.
European Bioplastics calls on the European Parliament and Council to keep coffee capsules on the positive list for mandatorily compostable packaging applications as set out in Art. 8 of the Commission’s proposal for a revised PPWR.