New Blend bags are here. New look, new material and, naturally, a few questions.
Mono-material? PCR? Check locally? Plastic range and compostable? Fair questions. Here goes.
What are the new 250g blend bags made from?
They're made predominantly from one plastic family: LDPE, or low-density polyethylene. That's the mono bit.
They're also made with 30% post-consumer recycled plastic. That's the PCR bit. Post-consumer recycled material comes from plastic that's been used, collected and processed into material that can be used again, so we need less new, virgin plastic to make each bag.
Mono + PCR. Packaging jargon successfully decoded.
How does mono-material help?
Coffee bags need to keep oxygen and moisture away from your coffee.
If coffee retained its quality in kerbside-recyclable paper products, we'd jump to that in a flash (and believe us, we've tested), but the oxygen barrier to date hasn't been high enough to protect the beans and do our bit in the quality chain of custody all the way from origin.
Traditionally, multi-laminate products have achieved a great barrier, but they offer rubbish recycling prospects.
Mono-material plastic achieves a high barrier and a more promising circular outcome, as they're designed to be compatible with soft-plastics recycling.
So they're recyclable?
They're designed to be recycled through soft-plastics recycling systems - that's the bag, the zip, and the valve.
Australia's soft-plastics recycling system is rebuilding, but what's available depends on where you live.
So check the soft-plastic recycling options available in your area before giving your bag the flick.
Can I put it in my yellow recycling bin?
Generally, no. Soft plastic isn't accepted loose in the standard yellow-lid recycling bin in most places.
Some councils are trialling or operating specific soft-plastic collection systems, so follow the instructions for your area.
Can I bring it back to you?
Yep. Please do!
Bring your empty Single O coffee bags back to a Single O café and we'll recycle them for you.
Just make sure they're empty, clean and dry.
Is it the ultimate answer?
We don't know yet. (We're roasters not packaging experts.)
Sustainability seems less finish line, more moving target and we're learning and adapting as we go.
We continue researching and testing solutions for our 1kgs.
250g origins remain in kraft paper and plant-based PLA, which are home compostable. (Please remove the valve and the label.)
And now these 250g blend bags are in Mono-PCR so you can recycle through soft-plastics systems. Smooth execution. Towards no mess left behind!