Why coffee brands should carry eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging
Eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging is made from kraft paper, corrugated cardboard, and low-density polyethene and polylactic acid plastic – all sustainable, biodegradable, and compostable materials.
Coffee brands should consider using this packaging format for several key reasons. First, they will reduce their carbon footprint and significantly lessen their impact on the global environment. Second, consumers will look upon their product more favourably. Third, eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging helps them stratify their product portfolio, satisfying more customers with solutions for different coffee needs.
As cold brew continues to exhibit strong international growth, focusing on your packaging and expanding your offering are positive ways to ensure your business capitalises on opportunities.
We spoke to Patrick O’Malley, global coffee consultant at IBCA-USA, to learn more about the growth of cold brew and the importance of sustainability to the broader coffee industry.
Where is cold brew growing?
Cold-brew coffee is growing globally at a considerable clip. At the end of 2023, it was valued at $492 million, and it is expected to exceed $3.8 billion by 2032 – a 22.67% CAGR. In comparison, specialty coffee is growing just over 10% year over year, and plant-based milk alternatives are growing by around 7.5%.
Alongside RTD (ready-to-drink) coffee – a segment cold brew coffee directly relates to – cold coffee is fast becoming a preferred choice and not just a warm weather replacement.
“Across the US, and in our own cafes, cold brew growth is on a steady rise,” says Patrick.
“It seems to be the case everywhere, especially when I think about what I see when I’m travelling for work in coffee markets around the world. Europe is growing, and even in coffee-producing countries, I am now seeing cold brew as part of everyday consumption.”
“I’m in Colombia often for work, and the specialty cafe scene there is growing rapidly. In every café, you’ll find cold brew; some even have it on tap. I see it growing every trip.”
As Patrick points out, the USA has long been the vanguard for specialty coffee development and global coffee trends. Other regions may lag for a short while, but globalisation means changes catch on quickly. The expansion of cold brew coffee and RTD coffee, for example, is now readily witnessed in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.
It is common to find coffee companies combining cold brew and RTD coffee in their lineups to capitalise on key industry trends. Canned cold brew beverages are featured on the menus and online shops of many of the largest multinational companies and appear in many industry-leading specialty coffee businesses.
Another key appeal of cold brew and another strong indicator of its future success is that it is highly compatible with specialty coffee. Cold brew’s alternative brewing method generally results in lower acidity and more mellow flavour notes, which businesses use to leverage to highlight specialty-grade coffee quality.
We asked Patrick if he sees potential for cold brew to work with specialty coffee.
“Of course! We are already making cold brew with high-grade specialty coffee from producers like Maurizio Shattah. We made a cold brew with his Marygoype, for which we paid about $30 per pound, and our customers went crazy for it!
“They were willing and happy to pay $10 for a 20-ounce glass of it. Great coffee can be consumed hot or cold. I don’t drink cold brew, but I regularly have to taste it for our business, and I have to say the taste can be amazing.”
How should coffee businesses approach eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging?
There are numerous ways to package cold brew, varying by client type, consumer need, and brand preference. In-store cold brew is typically served in plastic cups for takeaway. Still, this is changing as more sustainable RTD packaging formats, like aluminium cans or BPA-free plastic bottles, become available.
Cans and bottles are popular for single-serve needs, but flexible cold-brew coffee pouches are an even more sustainable option for packaging 187 ml or 350 ml portions. Unlike aluminium or glass, these pouches are entirely compostable, which is the most preferred credential among consumers for coffee packaging.
Meanwhile, eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging is similarly revolutionary for coffee businesses looking to package larger volumes, either for multi-serve home consumption or for office coffee solutions and wholesale accounts. This packaging type can range in size from three litres to 20, servicing 15 to 100 portions in a convenient, ready-to-drink format.
Many coffee businesses are still behind the curve when it comes to sustainability, despite the topic being more important to consumers than ever before, so when considering a packaging type for your cold brew, eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging should be high on your list.
“It’s getting more difficult to chase sustainability fully in modern cafes due to the fact that consumers want convenience,” says Patrick. “This is difficult in a takeaway-focused society.”
“If we can find a way to have people adapt to reusable materials from which to consume coffee, I’d be delighted. We do have some willing customers, but so far, we see disposable packaging all over the US.
“On a positive note, we’ve found that consumers are more willing to use reusable drinkware for iced and cold coffee. We did an informal survey and found an overwhelming majority of single-use bags and single-use boxes being used. It’s one I wish I had a more positive answer to.”
Eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging is a great way to encourage people to use reusable drinkware when consuming cold-brew coffee. In the cafe, cold brew can be dispensed directly into ceramic or glass containers instead of single-use plastic takeaway cups. At home, instead of purchasing multi-packs of single-serve RTD cold brew coffee, consumers can instead store a bag-in-box cold brew in their refrigerator and dispense it over multiple days while their coffee remains fresh.
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer a range of highly customisable, eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging in varied size formats, all manufactured from compostable, biodegradable materials.
To source your sustainable packaging line, visit our website or get in touch with us directly.
Eco-friendly bag-in-box packaging
*Images provided by Sidekick Cold Brew
