Halo Coffee Pods

Pacamara Coffee Capsules / Source: Halo Coffee

AluminiumBagasseEuropeFood & BeveragePackagingPaper

3 MINUTE READ

Nadine Smith

WHAT WE SAY:

The coffee pod industry is flying high, but with it comes a mound of plastic and aluminium waste that is proving hard to recycle. While brand-led collection schemes go some way to solving this issue, the reality is that almost 80% of coffee pods are discarded. Which is why we are excited to see that Halo is trying something different.

Its bagasse-based compostable pods break down in soil and the food bin, with leftover coffee acting as nutrients. Of course, there is debate around the likelihood of compostable pods getting into the right food waste stream, but upcoming policy change may simplify this soon. The bigger question is whether we should be shipping bagasse around the world for something as simple as a coffee pod?

KEY FACTS:

UK-based Halo’s compostable coffee pods are made from Bagasse and Paper pulp fibre. Nespresso compatible, they are designed to make the convenience of coffee pods less environmentally impactful.
The coffee pods are specifically designed for home composting in regular soil conditions - conforming to standard EN13432. They can be put in both food waste and compost bins and do not need to be taken apart beforehand.
The capsules break down into a natural fertiliser, re-entering the ecological process and supporting a circular economy. Should the pods not make it to a compost heap, they are able to break down in landfill.
An in-house study, looking at the compostability of four types of coffee pods in 15°C, loamy garden soil over two months, saw the brand’s compostable pods completely degrade, while the PET-based, bioplastic-based and Aluminium pods remained unchanged.
Halo fills the coffee pods with single origin and bespoke coffee blends, and they are available through its delivery service and selected UK outlets.

Halo coffee capsule in use / Source: Halo Coffee

Coffee capsule delivery packaging / Source: Halo Coffee

DIVE DEEPER:

According to Halo, 13,500 coffee capsules are consumed every minute. Only 21% are recycled and the remaining 79% can take up to 500 years to break down.
Leading coffee capsule manufacturers claim their capsules can be recycled, however recycling rates are detrimentally impacted by the need for cleaning and separation - at the home or at the recycling hub.
Halo’s coffee pods are both plastic and aluminium-free and can be thrown into soil or the food bin without being separated.
They come packaged in a paper-based black box with a paper insert printed with vegetable ink. This secondary packaging is also said to be home compostable, and will degrade in up to 90 days in ambient (room) temperatures, as well as being kerbside recyclable.
Halo is open about where it still needs to improve, stating that it is working to adapt its current film wrap - a bio-polymer laminate derived from renewable food sources. While the wrap is home compostable, it does leave a small amount of residue after degradation.
The company discusses the challenges it has faced creating the pods, namely that it has had to work with more individual suppliers than first thought to ensure all packaging is as sustainable as possible.
Boxes of capsules range in price from GBP 7-10 (USD 9-13) for a single order of 10 capsules, to GBP 26-47 (USD 20-36) for a subscription of 40 pods, every one to four weeks. They’re delivered within the UK and internationally in a recyclable outer postage box.

“There is an unspoken suspicion that if products are good for the planet, they must...taste less good or be less beautiful. We are on a mission to give people the world’s best coffee, in a way they want it, that’s best for the world."

Nils Leonard - Co-Founder, Halo - as quoted in GQ

Key Design Considerations:

Localised feedstocks are key

Be aware that bagasse or paper pulp for food-contact packaging must currently be sourced from virgin feedstock. Ensure feedstocks are responsibly managed and are grown locally to production facilities, reducing transit emissions.

Pay attention to detail

Interrogate the ink and printing techniques used in secondary and tertiary packaging. Make sure they are non-toxic when broken down and are energy efficient in their production process.

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Halo Coffee Pods

WHAT WE SAY:

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

According to Halo, 13,500 coffee capsules are consumed every minute. Only 21% are recycled and the remaining 79% can take up to 500 years to break down.

Leading coffee capsule manufacturers claim their capsules can be recycled, however recycling rates are detrimentally impacted by the need for cleaning and separation - at the home or at the recycling hub.

Halo’s coffee pods are both plastic and aluminium-free and can be thrown into soil or the food bin without being separated.

They come packaged in a paper-based black box with a paper insert printed with vegetable ink. This secondary packaging is also said to be home compostable, and will degrade in up to 90 days in ambient (room) temperatures, as well as being kerbside recyclable.

Halo is open about where it still needs to improve, stating that it is working to adapt its current film wrap - a bio-polymer laminate derived from renewable food sources. While the wrap is home compostable, it does leave a small amount of residue after degradation.

The company discusses the challenges it has faced creating the pods, namely that it has had to work with more individual suppliers than first thought to ensure all packaging is as sustainable as possible.

Boxes of capsules range in price from GBP 7-10 (USD 9-13) for a single order of 10 capsules, to GBP 26-47 (USD 20-36) for a subscription of 40 pods, every one to four weeks. They’re delivered within the UK and internationally in a recyclable outer postage box.

Nils Leonard - Co-Founder, Halo - as quoted in GQ

Key Design Considerations:

Localised feedstocks are key

Pay attention to detail

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