Investing in recyclable cold brew pouches: What to consider
Today’s coffee consumers want quality, convenience, and variety. Cold brew delivers on all three fronts, evidenced by its bullish growth over the past decade and overwhelmingly optimistic forecasts for the coming one.
Cold brew coffee is highly customisable and perfectly suited for convenient and eye-catching packaging formats, like recyclable cold brew pouches or aluminium cans. Plus, its naturally lower acidity and bitterness make it a prime entry point for newcomers to the coffee world.
But modern consumers are also increasingly well-educated on topics previously obscured by a lack of social media and industry transparency – things like sustainability, manufacturing health and safety, and, ultimately, coffee quality.
As shoppers – especially young ones – look to spend their money on products that are clearly compliant with their environmentally conscious and quality-driven lifestyles, packaging format and design are more important than ever.
We spoke to Philip Wright, founder of Soln, to learn more about what coffee brands need to consider regarding packaging and design.
What are recyclable cold brew pouches?
Recyclable cold brew pouches are a flexible packaging solution, leveraging high-barrier materials that produce a simultaneously lighter-weight and more protective environment for cold brew coffee. Aluminium cans are by far the most common packaging format for single-serve cold brew coffee at present, but their bulk and weight leave much to be desired for efficient transport, storage, and achieving higher sustainability goals.
Recyclable cold brew pouches are certified biodegradable and compostable, unlike aluminium or certain types of glass. From a consumer appeal perspective, this is important: 61% of Americans believe compostable plastics are very sustainable, compared to 37% who feel the same way about metals like aluminium.
“People are more aware than ever of the impact we are having on our planet,” says Philip.
“Looking at the older generation, I think they want to leave the planet in a good condition for future generations and are looking to make more sustainable choices.
“For different consumers, different variables are more important. Aluminium, for example, is infinitely recyclable, which is important to some people. For others, compostability and carbon emissions are a higher priority.”
“At Soln, on balance, we believe that fibre-based packaging, with its recyclability, low carbon emissions and no-micro plastic characteristics, offers the most sustainable choice.”
Recyclable cold brew pouches use low-density polyethene (LDPE) and polylactic acid (PLA) as their structural bases. LDPE is a recyclable plastic commonly accepted by recycling facilities and an important component of sustainable waste management. PLA is a thermoplastic monomer sourced from renewable and organic plant matter, including corn start and sugar cane. Instead of using fossil fuels to create plastic, PLA draws on biomass resources and is fully biodegradable.
Standing out in a competitive marketplace
As a coffee company in 2024, if you aren’t already, you should be considering a line of cold brew products. Whether serving it in a cafe or coffee shop or producing cold brew commercially for FMCG retail spaces, cold brew is a unicorn trend in the global coffee space that is only set to grow.
It is important to remember that cold brew is more than tangentially related to several other key food and beverage growth areas, including health and wellness space, ready-to-drink beverages, and specialty coffee. With a strong line of cold brew products, your business can benefit from multiple consumer trends.
Despite its young age, cold brew is already a competitive market. Multinational businesses already boast sophisticated cold brew portfolios, and industry-leading specialty coffee operators are constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation with new flavours, equipment, and technologies.
As such, standing out on the shelf is key to success. Consumers value innovation, eco-consciousness, and sleek branding that tells a story, but they don’t linger.
“We need to help consumers know what they are buying and help them make easier choices,” Philip says.
“Shoppers make quick decisions, so we need industry-standard measures and regulations to provide clear and concise guidance. Even for experts, it’s hard to find the right answers. We need to make it easy and quick for customers to decide.”
When it comes to marketing cold brew coffee, packaging appeal is just as important as product protection, and the right combination of the two can prove the difference between retail success and failure.
Key things to consider when designing recyclable cold brew pouches
Once you’ve made the decision to choose recyclable cold brew pouches for your line of cold brew products, there are several further points to take into consideration:
- Sizing
Cold brew pouches are available in different sizes, suited to different consumption types. Smaller single-serve portions like 185 ml or 375 ml are well suited for drinking on the go. Larger pouches – up to three litres – are more suitable for social events, offices, or multiple servings at home.
- Branding
Recyclable cold brew pouches hold immense branding opportunities when compared to aluminium or glass. A larger brandable surface area can help your products stand out on crowded shelves when combined with eye-catching aesthetics and efficient brand storytelling
- Sustainability
Younger consumers’s purchasing decisions are swayed by sustainability credentials, and many are likely to spend more on products that demonstrate environmentally friendly commitments. Choosing packaging that is certified compostable, recyclable and biodegradable and making these claims clear on your packaging will win you favour.
Our recyclable cold brew pouches tick all three of the above boxes, helping you launch a line of cold brew products that will make a bold statement in a competitive marketplace.
We offer vast customizability in branding and design, including hot foil stamping, spot glossing, embossing, varnish, matte or satin finishing and metallic and holographic foils.
Combined with low MOQs, fast turnaround times, and international shipping, Cold Brew Pak’s recyclable cold brew coffee pouches are designed to help you bring sustainable, high-quality cold brew products to market as fast as possible.
Get in touch with our team today for more information.
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Recyclable cold brew pouches
