We are a zero waste business. To us, this term defines our goal of taking small steps rooted in sustainability. Over the past several years, we’ve taken steps like composting and recycling 90% of all our waste, buying local, and stocking our store with BPI certified versions of all our single use items.
We are excited to announce to you our new next step: retail bags made almost entirely (99%) from plants. We’re calling them our 'Next Best Step Bags', and they make us really happy.
IMPROVING COFFEE BAG SUSTAINABILITY
Our coffee bags are Biotre 2.0. They are made mostly from wood-pulp, with a thin plastic layer. That small bit of plastic is composed almost entirely from derivatives of sugarcane, plus a smidge of a safe chemical additive that aids in a quick break down.
These bags have a much smaller environmental impact on the front end. At the end of their use, they will completely break down in about 5-10 years. This is a vast improvement on our previous bags that were made of regular ol’ plastic and foil and will sit in landfills upwards of 300 years before they break down completely. We call that a small sustainability win!
WHY NOT JUST USE PAPER BAGS?
Unfortunately, coffee needs to be in an airtight container to keep all the good stuff good. At the time of development, Biotre 2.0 was the best available option that keeps coffee quality high, and impact on the environment low.
WHAT TO DO WHEN IT’S EMPTY
You’ve got a couple of options here--it’s like a “choose your own adventure” bag. No matter which path you take, the bag will break down substantially faster than conventional bags, so it’s a win-win.
OPTION 1: COMPOST AT HOME
When you’re done with your bag, you can tear or cut off the plastic seal and valve, and throw that baby in your backyard compost*. Everything but the thin plastic liner will break down in about 12 weeks. You can then fish the plastic liner out of the compost and throw it in the trash. (Or, you can let it do its thing in there for 5-10 years as a fun science experiment.)
OPTION 2: THROW IT IN THE GARBAGE
Just, you know, like you would with normal garbage but better because it won’t sit in a landfill for 300 years (just about 5-10!).
WHAT’S NEXT?
We’re excited about this step toward sustainability and are looking forward to compostable bag technology developing into even better, more sustainable options. We fully intend to grow as the technology does. While this is the next best step for us, it’s one in a line of many. Thank you for coming this far with us.
If you have any questions, let us know!
*Unfortunately commercial composters won’t take products that aren’t BPI certified. We checked with our local faves Compost Nashville and they aren’t able to take the bags. But, if you live somewhere else, it’s worth contacting your local compost company to ask if they can take Biotre 2.0 bags.
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