Online coffee sales have increased dramatically since the Covid-19 outbreak began as buyers try to replicate the coffee shop experience at home.
Roasters thus have the chance to increase the size of their customer base. In order to guarantee that their coffee will be in perfect condition when it gets to the customer’s door, they also need to reconsider packaging choices.
Choosing packaging with strong barrier qualities is essential in this. In order to maintain the coffee’s freshness, moisture, oxygen, heat, and light exposure must be limited.
Aluminum has traditionally been used in coffee packaging because it is simple to seal, resistant to punctures, temperature changes, and helps retain the flavors and fragrances of the coffee.
This alternative, however, is rigid and frequently expensive. Vacuum Metalised Polyethylene Terephthalate (VMPET) is now being used more frequently as a result of this.
Continue reading to learn more about VMPET and whether it will support the sustainability objectives of your company.
Describe VMPET.
Polyethylene terephthalate, often referred to as PET, serves as the foundation material in the production of VMPET. This plastic is translucent, light, and has a high mechanical strength.
Plastic bottles are typically made from this material. It may be shaped into any shape and offers a surface that stickers can attach to.
A tiny layer of metal, about 1/175 the thickness of the aluminum commonly used on aluminum-lined packaging, is vacuum coated onto PET to create VMPET.
As a result, PET becomes metalized, giving it the look of aluminum foil.
When a company has the appropriate tools, producing VMPET is rapid and simple. A appropriate metal, such as nickel or chromium, is heated to its melting point to begin the process.
It is then broken down in a vacuum. The molten metal will then be concentrated and condensed onto a surface made of clean PET material. After cooling, the resulting VMPET is prepared for shape or printing.
Aluminum versus VMPET
Although they both use aluminum, VMPET and aluminum have a few subtle variances.
Aluminum can fracture when folded and is more difficult to heat seal. This means that in order to endure rigorous handling, it is best employed between multilayer laminate materials.
In addition, compared to conventional packaging with an aluminum liner, VMPET consumes only 1% aluminum as a raw material. It is therefore more economical.
VMPET is also a printable material. It reproduces colors and contrasts them accurately since it is opaque. This will make it more likely that consumers will recognize and like your branding.
VMPET has several benefits over conventional aluminum, but it also has drawbacks.
For starters, compared to aluminum, the rates at which oxygen and water vapor penetrate the package are extremely high. If the coffee is kept for a long time before consumption, problems could arise.
VMPET is frequently used in multilayer packaging because it has the best flavor and fragrance preserving properties when combined with materials like LDPE.
Can VMPET be sustained?
For roasters who place a premium on freshness, VMPET is a fantastic choice of packaging material. Contrary to kraft paper, it might be challenging to recycle.
Because different types of base metal and base plastic frequently melt at different temperatures, the recycling process is dependent on the materials utilized.
Layers of packaging and the materials used to make them can also have an impact on recycling.
Instead of actual foil, VMPET contains an aluminum powder layer, which is frequently left behind during recycling. It is instead melted and combined with the PET needed to create plastic bottles.
Metal detectors installed into recycling equipment may have problems as a result of this. If even the slightest bit of metal is detected, these machines may reject the entire batch of material in order to prevent damage.
If you don’t have access to an appropriate recycling facility, you could also incur considerable costs and inconveniences for your company by separating the layers of VMPET before processing.
The Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Sciences has published research that suggests it may one day be feasible to recover the titanium, silicon, and aluminum from discarded VMPET. This practice is not yet very common, though.
Selecting the best environmentally friendly coffee packaging
Ultimately, it can be challenging to select the ideal packaging for your coffee due to the wide variety of materials available.
When it comes to multilayer coffee packaging, VMPET is a strong rival to aluminum. It might not, however, be the ideal option for your roastery.
You want your coffee to have the longest shelf life possible if you are selling it in huge quantities or shipping it over great distances. This may imply that you would be better off sticking with an aluminum lining.
Similar to this, you must think about how buyers would handle their used packaging. Your packaging can end up in a landfill or an incinerator if your clients lack access to collection or recycling facilities.
Contacting your packaging supplier would unquestionably be your best course of action. See if you can gather your used packaging and return it to them so that they can handle its recycling in a responsible manner.
By asking them to mail their packing to you, you can persuade online customers to do this. In a manner similar to Loop, which is already employed in the UK, you can also ask customers to return their used packaging to your facility.
Your company’s sustainable activities will be further highlighted by implementing a recycling program, which will also reassure your customers about the quality of the products they are purchasing.
Knowing that not every component of your coffee packaging can be recycled may ultimately prompt you to reconsider your packaging choices.
Cyan Pak can point you in the direction of coffee packaging options that are more environmentally friendly and meet your needs. The eco-friendly product line offers a variety of materials, including packaging that is recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable, as well as water-based inks that are compostable and simple to remove for recycling.
