Manifesto Coffee

Aluminium coffee cans / Source: Manifesto Coffee

AfricaAluminiumAsiaEuropeFood & BeverageNorth AmericaOceaniaPackagingSouth America

3 MINUTE READ

Kaltrina Bylykbashi

WHAT WE SAY:

Manifesto understood the assignment when it took to transforming its coffee packaging in 2021: making it easy for customers to actually recycle, rather than 'wishcycling.'

As a result, the company replaced often confusing-to-process plastic or zipper-adorned paper pouches with aluminium cans – one of the most reliably recyclable materials in the world. It seems so simple, we are left asking why it took so long. And what is next to be canned?

KEY FACTS:

In August 2021, Manifesto switched to Aluminium cans for the packaging of its coffee beans, rather than conventional plastic or Paper pouches.
Manifesto found that plastic and paper coffee pouches often included zips and valves that had to be removed before throwing the bag into recycling. This was not clearly stated in the majority of bags, causing consumers to unintentionally mis-recycle them.
As a result, the company moved to aluminium cans because they are the most well-understood and commonly recycled items in the world, and do not require any tricky or hard-to-recycle components.
The cans are used across Manifesto’s entire product range, with 200 gram cans costing between GBP 10-15 (USD 13-19).

Aluminium can of coffee / Source: Manifesto Coffee

Manifesto’s tear label removal system / Source: Manifesto Coffee

DIVE DEEPER:

Manifesto director Alex MacIntyre says cans are ideal for a product like coffee because they are airtight, affordable, do not allow for light damage, and are genuinely 100% recyclable.
Around the world, the recycling rate of aluminium is higher than that of plastic. In the UK – Manifesto’s home territory – only 9% of all plastic is recycled, with over 60% of the excess shipped abroad, while the rate of aluminium recycling hit 71% in 2021.
The rate of recycling for aluminium beverage cans is even higher, reaching 82% in the UK in 2020.
The infrastructure to sort through aluminium cans is also extensive and mature in the UK – a recycled can is able to transform into a new product within 60 days of being thrown out.
Manifesto’s cans are covered with an easy-peel foil lid, similar to those found on tins of nuts, to maintain freshness before opening.
To address the non-resealability of cans, the company offers customers an optional reusable plastic lid to enable them to keep their coffee fresh once opened.
The labels are applied using biodegradable adhesive and the ink is biodegradable too.
Labels are designed, printed, and hand-cut in-house with a die cutter to reduce waste at order. They can be easily removed with a tear strip and disposed of in household recycling bins.

"The most important thing is people already know what to do with these, they’re a familiar object, and people don’t need to google how to dispose of them properly."

Alex MacIntyre - Director, Manifesto Coffee - as quoted in Sprudge

Key Design Considerations:

Explain your thinking

We love how Manifesto clearly tells the story behind its new packaging in a very human way, while also highlighting an industry-wide inefficiency. Now every time we look at a coffee pouch, we will be less trusting of that brand’s sustainability credentials.

Communicate the details

Having said that, it is not clear exactly what aluminium Manifesto is using. We would love to know more details: if it is sourced from ASI-certified producers, or whether its recycled (recycled aluminium uses 95% less energy and emits 97% fewer greenhouse gases).

Could the last plastic element be eliminated

The re-sealable lid feels like a necessary evil. But perhaps Manifesto could create a better option, such as a collectible, artist-adorned cork plug or similar?

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Manifesto Coffee

WHAT WE SAY:

Manifesto understood the assignment when it took to transforming its coffee packaging in 2021: making it easy for customers to actually recycle, rather than 'wishcycling.'

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Manifesto director Alex MacIntyre says cans are ideal for a product like coffee because they are airtight, affordable, do not allow for light damage, and are genuinely 100% recyclable.

Around the world, the recycling rate of aluminium is higher than that of plastic. In the UK – Manifesto’s home territory – only 9% of all plastic is recycled, with over 60% of the excess shipped abroad, while the rate of aluminium recycling hit 71% in 2021.

The rate of recycling for aluminium beverage cans is even higher, reaching 82% in the UK in 2020.

The infrastructure to sort through aluminium cans is also extensive and mature in the UK – a recycled can is able to transform into a new product within 60 days of being thrown out.

Manifesto’s cans are covered with an easy-peel foil lid, similar to those found on tins of nuts, to maintain freshness before opening.

To address the non-resealability of cans, the company offers customers an optional reusable plastic lid to enable them to keep their coffee fresh once opened.