That’s right — better packaging. From today, there’s a good chance you’ll start to see our new paper recyclable coffee bags in the wild*. Yip, you heard us, paper recyclable bags. This large, but very necessary, task of improving our packaging, has been driven by our purpose:Better Coffee For All, which is underpinned by the philosophy of continual improvement — doing things better than the time before.
When creating our new packaging, our key objective was to reduce the use of plastic. We’re proud to say, it’s been a success — not only does this new paper technology we’ve used reduce the plastic component by 85%, it also renders our bags paper recyclable. This means, you can simply pop your empties in with the rest of your curbside paper recycling. Pretty neat. We’ve even had them officially credited recyclable by theAustralasian Recycling Label (ARL).
Paper recycling is one of the most widely adopted recycling methods. So by making a bag that is super easy to dispose of means less plastic, more recycling, and less landfill. We think that’s a pretty big step in the right direction.
We know that you might have a few questions. So, we’ve gone ahead and created a bit of a FAQ sheet for you below to try and provide some answers. If you’ve got more questions after reading this, we’d love to hear from you. You can either email us atinfo@coffeesupreme.com or message us on Instagram or Facebook.
What are the bags made of?
85% paper with a thin plastic lining that allows them to be sealed and food safe.
Are they recyclable?
Yes, absolutely. Even better, they are paper recyclable, so you can simply pop your empties in with the rest of your domestic curbside paper recycling.
Are they compostable?
They are not. As we’ve learnt throughout this (and our last packaging amendment) process, there is no silver bullet for packaging. Compostable bags have their issues too: most people don’t compost, there’s no public collection, and they’re not recyclable, so most end up in the landfill. Additionally, they can start to break down in storage. For these reasons, we’ve opted for a paper-recyclable packaging solution, which gives the greatest chance of the material having another life.
Do you need to remove the label before recycling the bag?
Nope. Our new labels are now made from paper too, which means they can go into the recycling with the bag. Too easy.
What about the plastic lining?
The plastic lining component has a special additive, which allows it to enter the paper recycling system. From there, the two are separated and processed individually. While we'd love to have an entirely paper bag, the lining allows the bag to seal and be food safe.
Why are the bags not resealable?
We opted to remove the plastic ziplock in favour of making a bag that is better for the environment. We understand the ziplock was a handy feature, however, the additional plastic required to make it, meant it didn’t make the cut. We’ve gone ahead and had some pretty neat new canisters made, they’re a little behind schedule (cheers, Covid), but we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as they land.
How should I store my coffee?
Once you've opened your fresh bag of Supreme, we encourage you to transfer it to an airtight container — just like you do with that packet of Tim Tams. A jar or Tupperware container will do the trick too. If you haven't got any of the above handy, a clip over the top of the bag will also do a solid job. Just make sure it's stored in a cool, dry place.
What happens to the old bags?
It’s important to us that this packaging transition doesn’t create additional waste. So while we shift to the new bags, we’ll have some of our current packaging in the mix, too. Until we have completely changed to paper bags, our partnership with TerraCycle is still in place.
*when you collect your mail from your letterbox or head to the supermarket for your weekly outing.
