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Yasmin Ahmed
CoffeeB is a capsule-free coffee system that uses compostable coffee balls wrapped in a plant-based film, helping to eliminate the 100,000 tonnes of plastic and aluminium capsule waste generated by the capsule coffee industry every year. Launched in September 2022, the machine's modular design facilitates repairs, ensuring its longevity. Migros, the Swiss company behind the revolutionary system, says CoffeeB is "the greatest product innovation" in its history – a bold statement, and one we'd be inclined to agree with if it wasn't for the plastic-coated secondary packaging. Despite this, Migros' novel solution is the perfect blend of functional, disruptive, and sustainable, delivering the ultimate zero-waste coffee experience that even true coffee aficionados wouldn't snub.
Although the company says its packaging is recyclable, the use of a plastic-based coating makes that claim questionable, or at least poses the question of where that coating ends up after the recycling system discards it. Admittedly, plastic-free coatings are difficult to find on the market. But there has been progress in the form of MelOx, a plant-sourced oxygen barrier coating for disposable paper packaging which can be washed off the substrate with water to facilitate recycling, as well as Notpla, which uses Seaweed for its compostable barrier solution. With minor tweaks to its packaging, CoffeeB could become a fully fledged plastic-free brand, paving the way for next generation packaging solutions.
The CoffeeB system has successfully eliminated the need for capsules by developing a plant-based coating that encases the coffee balls to retain flavour, aroma, and stability. Unfortunately, the company doesn't explicitly state which plant materials and minerals are used, but it would be worth digging deeper to understand if the coating used here could work for other foodstuffs, helping to design out primary food packaging beyond the coffee industry.
Composting is the most environmentally friendly way of diverting kitchen and organic waste from landfill, adding valuable soil nutrients and eliminating the need to purchase garden compost. But it requires some technical knowledge to be done correctly. Used coffee grounds tend to have a mildly acidic profile – compost containing spent coffee is best suited for use with calcifuge plants, which thrive in acidic soil. This is a minor detail but worth considering if you're marketing your product as compostable, since alkaline-loving plants – or calcicoles – may suffer from nutrient deficiencies and stunted growth in acidic soil. As consumers become more gardening savvy, forward-thinking brands can weigh in on the growing trend by offering their audience granular details about the nature of their packaging materials and product ingredients, showcasing their partiality for planet over profit. That being said, soil pollution due to the composting of unwanted materials poses an exponential threat to food chains and broader ecosystems, so the conversation must be approached with consideration and caution, as demonstrated by The Compostable Conundrum.
CoffeeB looked at both lemon and vinegar as natural alternatives to its chemical descaler, but it was found that they weren't effective and could damage the machine's components. The use of chemicals could be a slight sticking point for eco-conscious customers, as they will inevitably pollute water streams and may raise questions around health implications if they come into contact with the coffee. Migros is actively searching for an alternative, alongside the plastic bottle in which the descaler is currently sold – a proactiveness we can get behind.
CoffeeB may be the first capsule-free coffee machine, but with a plethora of appliances already on the market since the first coffee capsule emerged 37 years ago, we're hesitant about the addition of yet another option. Could the greenest solution to capsule waste be lurking in our past, when coffee was made by adding coarsely ground beans to a pot, jug, or cafetière with hot water? It didn't yield all the benefits of extraction, but it worked. Before technological advancements reconfigured our daily habits, people lived efficiently and less wastefully – perhaps the answers to our environmental concerns lie in our history.
