TIPA collaborates in the development of compostable packaging for Peeze’s new coffee beans
Jun 26, 2018
TIPA is an Israeli company developing a wide range of fully compostable, flexible packaging that is as transparent and impermeable as conventional plastic alternatives.
TIPA collaborated with the sustainable packaging manufacturer, Bio4Pack, and the European converter Servo Artpack, in order to develop an innovative packaging solution for Peeze - the only Dutch coffee refinery offering fully certified coffee via Fairtrade / Max Havelaar, BIO and Rainforest Alliance.
"It's a great pleasure to have been able to collaborate to the making of this product and to allow brands as committed as Peeze to take their actions in favour of the circular economy further every day. This is also a growing demand from consumers and we see that many companies are following Peeze's path," explains Daphna Nissenbaum, co-founder and CEO of TIPA.
"The circular economy is the future, and we are working hard to achieve a circular supply of coffee. Transitioning from a linear economy to a circular one is gaining momentum and we are proud to show the way and encourage people to innovate on the topic. Our new compostable packaging is such a great example and a new step forward," reveals Timmo Terpstra, CEO of Peeze.
A brand new compostable packaging: a first for both packaging and coffee industries
The making of Peeze's packaging is designed to be entirely compostable in industrial compost facilities, compatible to the EU label Vinçotte (TUV), and is a major step in Peeze's approach towards a circular economy. The packaging in itself can be treated as organic waste after-use, which greatly reduces the environmental impact of the products end-of-life.
All TIPA's products meet this end-of-life, compostable requirement and the company's expertise was put to good use in the making of the complex packaging layers.
Technical approach of the packaging
The quality and shelf life of Peeze's coffee were the two main elements to consider while developing the packaging. The challenge was to design compostable package that would be able to preserve both the flavour and the freshness of the coffee – and is precisely what Peeze's new packaging achieves. The package is made up of three layers: a printed layer, a barrier layer and a sealing layer. Peeze's packaging, partly made out of bio-based materials, have taken several years of R&D. The first pilot was carried out in June of 2017. "I'm so happy that after many years we can successfully introduce a tri-plex film, fully compostable, into the market" says Patrick Gerritsen, Director of Bio4Pack.
All the components of the packaging are compostable, including the pressure relief valve, and the ink used on the printed layer. In its pursuit of circularity, Peeze achieves the goal of a Circular Economy approach thanks to this compostable solution brought forth by TIPA's expertise on the matter and are still working on R&D solutions in order to increase the share of bio-sourced materials in packaging.
Research and development process and prospects for ever more circularity
By definition, the Circular Economy implies that each actor in the chain works in collaboration with the others; it is the same collaboration involved in developing Peeze's packaging, and the result of almost a decade's worth of research and development. As of now, the solution is used for coffee beans, producing a couple of million units per year. The goal is to quickly adapt this technology for a wider range of ground coffee, as well as to deepen their partnership in the future.
