Sustainable bag-in-box packaging is highly versatile
Sustainable bag-in-box packaging is one of the most eco-friendly and customisable methods of packaging cold brew coffee for at-home consumption. Built from compostable, biodegradable materials, this packaging format offers customers convenience, variety, and novelty – all key purchasing drivers.
The global cold brew coffee market continues to develop year-on-year and is expected to exceed $16 by 2032. As a result, more coffee businesses are turning to cold brew as a means to expand their product ranges, convert new customers, and satisfy new trends.
Bag-in-box packaging formats are suitable for wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales funnels. Coffeeshops use them to serve more customers more quickly, while consumers can easily store them in their refrigerators for convenient multi-serve caffeine fixes.
Customisability is a core benefit, while the sustainable materials used for bag-in-box packaging, like kraft paper and LDPE/PLA compostable plastic, create an even better, convenient cold brew experience. Read on to learn more.
Just how big will cold brew get, and why?
A press release from Finlays, a British commercial coffee roaster, recently shared a survey on British cold brew trends. The findings suggest a positive outlook for the segment’s future.
“Better taste, the creation of new beverage occasions, and a huge price premium will drive demand for cold brew coffee in the UK,” the report found.
“The emerging UK cold brew coffee segment is currently worth about £10 million but is expected to reach £26 million by 2027, with a CAGR of 22%. Of those who currently drink cold brew coffee, 43% drink it at least once a month, 14% drink it weekly, and 8% drink it daily. Of those who do use it to address a range of needs, 44% drink it for refreshment, 39% drink it to cool down in the summer months, 38% drink it as a treat and 31% for a caffeine boost.
“The research shows how favourably UK consumers think about cold brew compared to regular iced coffee, with 35% believing it has a smoother taste, 33% believing it offers better coffee flavour, and 22% believing it a less bitter or acidic option.
“Perhaps because of this, cold brew coffee commands a huge price premium, with one-third of cold brew drinkers willing to pay an average of £3.50 for cold brew vs. £1.70 for the average retail coffee – over twice as much.”
Finlays survey identifies key backers of cold brew growth in the UK. Firstly, as a cold coffee option, cold brew enjoys the support of an overall global movement towards a preference for iced coffee. Certain multinational retailers are seeing this explicitly in their sales mix – at the end of 2023, Starbucks reported that their iced coffee to hot coffee ratio was as much as 3 to 1.
Secondly, health and wellness trends dovetail nicely with cold brew’s perceived lower acidity and bitterness and its smoother taste, which make it suitable for drinking without additives. When prepared as nitro coffee, these features are even more pronounced.
Thirdly, thanks to its novelty, customisation, and variation, consumers are willing to pay more for cold brew, a boon for roasters and manufacturers, who can increase their margins by preparing cold brew cost-effectively, especially when using modern commercial cold brewing systems.
“Our research unlocks the secrets behind why cold brew coffee is such a dynamic growth opportunity for UK brand answers and operators,” said Bethany Physick, marketing manager at Finlays.
“Not only is cold brew seen as having a superior taste, but it is also opening up new coffee drinking occasions, and crucially is a product consumers are happy to pay a significant price premium for.”
What benefits does sustainable bag-in-box packaging offer to coffee companies and customers?
In coffee shops, restaurants, and other locations where cold brew can be purchased for consumption, it is typically served similarly to hot beverages – glassware, ceramic cups and mugs, takeaway plastic cups or eco-friendly alternatives (although many brands sell RTD cold brew for on-site consumption, especially if they don’t brew it themselves).
Cold brew can be packaged in various formats for other at-home or away-from-home sales. Aluminium cans and glass bottles are widely popular, especially for single-serve portions, but more recently, sustainable bag-in-box packaging has become more popular.
As cold brew grows in popularity – as indicated by Finlays’ findings – consumers are seeking multi-serve packaging formats for regular home consumption or, indeed, for servicing larger groups in offices or at social occasions and gatherings.
Sustainable bag-in-box packaging is available in various sizes, from smaller 1.5-litre boxes to larger 20-litre containers that can hold up to 100 portions. They are made from biodegradable, eco-friendly materials like kraft paper, corrugated cardboard, and LDPE/PLA compostable plastics.
This type of packaging solution appeals to customers and businesses alike. Consumers increasingly seek biodegradable, environmentally friendly packaging for their products, and compostable types are the most well-received.
For businesses, eco-friendly bag-in-box cold-brew packaging helps them serve high-quality cold brew more quickly and efficiently while illustrating to their consumers that they take sustainability topics seriously. The packaging can be customised to fit a specific brand or aesthetic and then quickly broken down for complete recycling once it is finished.
Instead of using multiple single-use plastic takeaway cups or multiple single-serve RTD packaging types like aluminium cans or glass bottles, businesses can serve cold brew from sustainable bag-in-box packaging. The brew is dispensed directly into reusable cups, biodegradable vessels, or ceramic or glass containers for on-site consumption.
As a coffee roaster or distributor, adding sustainable bag-in-box packaging for cold brew can cost-effectively open up new revenue streams — Rise Brewing Co. has already done this to great effect.
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer highly customisable, sustainable bag-in-box packaging for cold brew. With large square sides, our packaging real estate can be leveraged to jump off the shelf and catch consumers’ eyes, all while ensuring the materials your business uses are environmentally friendly.
Moreover, working with Cold Brew Pak will help you stratify your product portfolio. You can offer your consumers smaller, convenient bag-in-box packaging formats and larger, commercial-sized boxes to your wholesale partners.
For more information, visit our website or get in touch with us directly.
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Sustainable bag-in-box packaging
