What are the most popular forms of recyclable cold coffee packaging?
Recyclable cold coffee packaging can vary greatly. Since Portland-based Stumptown began bottling its cold brew coffee in the early 2010s , aluminium cans and glass or plastic bottles have been the most common choices.
More recently, as cold brew has grown in popularity and coffee consumers have become increasingly environmentally conscious, alternative packaging formats have emerged that offer even greater sustainability credentials.
Flexible cold brew pouches in 187 ml and 350 ml sizes are convenient for on-the-go consumption and sustainable. Bag-in-box cold brew packaging is similarly sustainable for multi-serve needs, like social events or office spaces. It can safely and hygienically hold up to twenty litres of liquid.
Grady’s Cold Brew, a New York-based cold brew manufacturer, offers an industry-leading range of cold brew products, both as ready-to-drink products and as bag-in-box multi-serve products. Read on to learn more about Grady’s approach and the importance of recyclable cold coffee packaging.
Why should coffee businesses carry cold brew?
Cold brew is the fastest-growing segment within the broader coffee industry. Brainy Insights expects the international cold brew market to be valued at more than $4.5 billion by 2033. As such, many coffee businesses, old and new, are entering the fray to grab a piece of the action.
In a recent press release, Grady Laird, co-founder and namesake of Grady’s, discussed two new cold brew flavours the company was introducing to expand its growing product portfolio: French Vanilla and Hazelnut mocha.
“The reaction has been, ‘What took you so long?,” Grady joked. “We wanted a memorable signature flavour that was recognised coast to coast before introducing variations.”
“Flavoured coffee has a reputation of being overpowering and artificial, but a large segment of coffee drinkers want subtlety, not a mouth-number sugar explosion. We aren’t talking about Doritos Extreme Jacked Sriracha Rand flavour levels here because we don’t want to completely obliterate the base coffee notes that make our brew special.
“This is a flavoured cold brew that can appeal to those who drink their coffee black and to those who prefer to sweeten things up.”
Grady’s approach to cold-brew coffee, which prioritises balance and natural coffee flavours, reveals one of the key driving forces behind the segment’s rising popularity.
Cold brew coffee appeals to modern consumers on multiple levels, especially in terms of health and wellness, another macro global trend. It can be consumed black, thanks to its naturally lower acidity and more mellow profile. Because there is little bitterness to overcome, it requires only minimal additives like flavoured syrups or sugar.
This means cold brew is perceived as a healthier alternative to sugar-laden iced coffees or frappés – an indulgent beverage without the downsides.
Grady’s chose to offer its new flavour combinations in larger 32-ounce bottles for at-home, multi-serve needs, similar to the problem that bag-in-box packaging solves. More recently, the company introduced a bottled RTD cold brew called Lil’ Easy to serve customers looking for a more convenient alternative to on-the-go consumption.
Bag-in-box packaging
In the café or coffee shop setting, cold brew is typically vended from the counter via a tap, refrigerated container or, more recently, a convenient bag-in-box package. For example, Rise Brewing Co., another Big Apple cold coffee business, provides bag-in-box nitro cold brew to their wholesale customers for café service.
The bag-in-box solution is an ideal form of recyclable cold coffee packaging for higher volume needs. Sizes range from smaller, more personal or household-friendly three-litre boxes up to twenty-litre versions, which hold 100 200 ml servings.
Bag-in-box packaging is very environmentally friendly. The outer packaging, the box, is made of kraft paper and corrugated cardboard, which are biodegradable and compostable.
The interior packaging – the bag – is formed of low-density polyethene (LDPE) and polylactic acid (PLA) plastics, two similarly biodegradable and compostable materials. Even the screw cap or dispensing tap is recyclable.
In practice, once consumed, the consumer needs to separate the box from the bag and recycle it according to their local programs.
Bag-in-box recyclable cold coffee packaging also offers other product performance benefits. The casing provides strong protection against light – which can damage coffee quality – and the internal bag prevents oxidation and rapid degradation of the cold brew. Thanks to its square design and lightweight materials, the format is robust and packs easily.
From a marketing perspective, bag-in-box packaging provides the biggest canvas for brand impact and storytelling. Huge customisable side panels can better grab customer attention on busy supermarket shelves and establish a strong first impression.
Flexible cold brew pouches
Similar to bag-in-box, but without the box, flexible cold brew pouches are another recyclable cold coffee packaging format with high sustainability upsides.
These pouches range in size from single-serve units to multi-serve, 1.5-litre formats and are comprised entirely of biodegradable and compostable LDPE and PLA plastics. Their flexible nature makes transportation and logistics more efficient – ten pouches can fit into the same space as one plastic bottle – and once consumed, they collapse in on themselves, saving space in the recycling chain.
Again, like bag-in-box packaging, flexible cold brew pouches offer a high degree of customizability. Their large front and back panels provide more real estate for branding, helping coffee companies capture attention and highlight their sustainability credentials and initiatives.
Recyclable aluminium cans
Research suggests that customers perceive compostable materials as the most sustainable form of packaging. However, aluminium continues to be the most widely recycled packaging material due to customer familiarity with the process and local recycling programs offering the service.
Aluminium cans are a good example of recyclable cold coffee packaging, especially for businesses that want to satisfy the demand for single-serve, ready-to-drink cold brew.
From a branding perspective, slimline aluminium cans are aesthetically pleasing and, thanks to modern printing equipment, are highly customisable, offering businesses a 360-degree canvas upon which to tell their story and jump off the shelf.
Aluminium is also robust, lightweight, and efficient for transportation, helping businesses tackle high carbon emissions. However, aluminium cans don’t help companies solve the multi-serve issue sustainably; it’s best to stratify your offering to include bag-in-box or flexible cold brew packaging, too, to avoid making customers buy crates of single-portion cans.
At Cold Brew Pak, we offer a wide range of customisable, recyclable cold coffee packaging options, including bag-in-box packaging and cold brew pouches. Our clients benefit from vast brandable packaging surfaces and certified eco-friendly materials.
Moreover, we offer quick lead times, low minimum order quantities, and global shipping to help them get to market as quickly as possible.
To source your own line of compostable coffee bags for cold brew, visit our website or contact our team directly.
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Recyclable cold coffee packaging
