What to look for in certified cold brew coffee bags
Certified cold brew coffee bags show your customers that you take environmental concerns seriously. By using your product packaging as a sustainable communication platform, you increase your chances of resonating with eco-conscious shoppers.
When looking for certified or sustainable packaging options, there are several things to keep in mind. High customizability will allow you to express your brand values better; different sizing options and formats will help you broaden your product portfolio, and key safety features will help you protect both your business and your customers.
To learn more about the importance of packaging generally and certified options more specifically, we spoke to Reuben Mardan, founder and owner of Sample Coffee in Sydney, Australia.
Why you need to get your packaging right
Sample Coffee is a specialty coffee business that places the highest importance on branding and aesthetic elements that celebrate the origins, farmers, and flavour notes of their award-winning coffee.
In 2019, Sample became a certified B Corporation. This designation requires businesses to meet the highest standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency, from employee benefits to charitable initiatives and sustainable business practices.
Alongside a diverse range of single origin coffees for milk-based, espresso, and filter coffee beverages, they also offer coffee bags for single-drink preparation. All Sample’s products are evidence of a thoughtful, transparent, and sustainable commitment to coffee and packaging.
We asked Reuben how important sustainable packaging is to success in modern coffee markets.
“It’s a fifty-fifty scenario,” he says. “Some customers really do care about sustainable packaging.”
“It’s not just the packaging, but also the sourcing and the general business philosophy and ethics. They will be ready to pay more because they know the goods’ quality and environmentally-performing materials cost more. They get it.
“Other customers don’t consider this yet, and they mostly consider the quality or taste of the coffee or the overall brand spirit.”
According to a 2024 Nielsen report, consumers are more loyal to products with strong sustainability claims – 92% of shoppers say sustainability is important when choosing a brand today.
As Reuben points out, this doesn’t always reflect in sales performance, as price has always been – and will continue to be – a key purchasing factor. Nevertheless, choosing goods that are packaged sustainably appears to be a growing trend, especially among younger consumers who will gain more spending power.
“Our ethics and philosophy drive our whole business practice,” Reuben adds. “From green coffee sourcing to packaging and our staff and customer relationships, we always try to do everything with honesty, integrity, and respect.”
Elements to look out for in certified cold brew coffee bags
When sourcing your own certified cold brew coffee bags, there are some key indicators to look for. As discussed, making clear that your packaging is sustainably certified will help you convert new, younger customers.
“In terms of packaging, we also think having the ABA Home certification is crucial,” says Rueben when asked about the importance of certification.
“There has been so much confusion and misuse of the term compostable within the last few years, so having a strong organisation backing up the claim is essential for transparency and correct processing at the end of a pack’s life.”
The ABA Home compostable certification is an Australian and New Zealand initiative established in 2005. Today, the body represents 28 members across both countries.
ABA advocates for broadening the infrastructure required for the proper collection and processing of bioplastic products that cannot be reused – i.e. waste that is well suited for composting.
While compostable materials are among the most preferred by shoppers seeking sustainable packaging, many are confused about how to do so. By focussing their efforts on education and access to the right programs, ABA – and Sample, by extension – are actively contributing to a more eco-conscious approach to coffee packaging recycling.
Alongside compostability, there are other things to look out for in certified cold brew coffee bags. Other key certifications like biodegradable or recycle-ready further help consumers recognise products that fit their lifestyle ideals.
Bag-in-box and flexible pouches are both good examples of certified cold brew coffee bags, both of which use LDPE and PLA plastic for comprehensive compostability.
With bag-in-box packaging solutions specifically, not only is the internal bladder biodegradable, but the protective outer casing is manufactured from kraft paper and corrugated cardboard, materials that are also recyclable and compostable.
Beyond bags, aluminium cans are a solid choice for businesses looking to enter the RTD segment with a certified packaging solution. Aluminium is one of the most widely recycled packaging products on the planet, thanks to its straightforward consumer processing requirements.
“Yes, there’s room for progression with what’s already in the RTD market,” says Reuben. “Some of our customers are experimenting with RTD cold brew with our beans packed in cans.
“Small brands and cafés keep improving their recipes to make it more delicious. Sydney summers are hot and sweaty, so cold brew can be the perfect antidote.”
To source your own line of certified cold brew coffee bags, you can visit our website or get in touch with the team directly. We also offer fully certified bag-in-box and flexible cold brew pouch packaging solutions to help you build out your product portfolio.
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Certified cold brew coffee bags
