UCC Coffee has launched its first Nespresso® compatible home compostable coffee capsule, EkoPod.
This comes at a time when the popularity of capsules continues to fuel growth as consumers look get their coffee fix, when they can no longer lounge at a coffee shop during the Global Covid pandemic.
TÜV Austria, the European standard for compostable products has certified the product ‘OK compost HOME’.
This independent S0464 certification guarantees EkoPod can be put straight into a home compost heap, food waste bin, or garden waste bin to decompose naturally in 12 months or less.
EkoPod is plastic-free due to its unique sealing technology. The capsule is airtight, which guarantees coffee freshness for up to nine months.
UCC Coffee Europe was one of the first manufacturers to invest in capsule technology, with its Centre of Excellence in Valence, France.
From January 2021, EkoPod will be available as a private-label product and will enable retailers to meet surging demand for consumer-friendly and sustainable Nespresso® pods. Also supporting retailers achieve their sustainability and plastic-reduction goals.
Most coffee capsules will need to be sent to a specialist facility to be industrially composted or properly recycled, and those that don’t make it there ends up in the billions of landfill a year or even burned.
The EkoPod is created using bio-degradable materials, making it fully compostable at home with the convenience and without harming the planet.