Preserving the flavour, facilitating transport and meeting ever stricter recyclability regulations: The PPWR, at the latest, is putting coffee packaging to the test. What's more, roasting plants have to implement the ever stricter requirements on existing equipment that is often decades old. How can the coffee packaging process be modernised for the future under these conditions?
How much of the unique character of a coffee bean ends up in the cup is largely determined by its packaging. Be it the bag of coffee beans, the „brick“ of ground coffee or the filter coffee capsule: The packaging keeps out oxygen and moisture, This preserves the freshness of the coffee and also conveys the character of a brand. But that's just the beginning.
Coffee packaging must fulfil the Balancing act between flavour preservation and circulation capability master. In addition to coffee flavour, a roastery's environmental awareness is becoming a decisive sales criterion. The pressure for sustainability is also increasing on the political front, most recently due to the new European Packaging Ordinance (PPWR). It has been in force since 11 February 2025 and will apply in principle from 12 August 2026, requiring primary and secondary packaging for foodstuffs such as coffee to meet the „Design for Recycling“ criteria from 2030. From 2035, the actual „Recycled at Scale“ capability must be demonstrated.
Requirements of the PPWR
The recyclability of packaging and materials is essential in order to keep valuable raw materials in the cycle. The PPWR sets a clear framework for this in the form of binding minimum recyclate percentages. For coffee packaging, these are ten per cent by 2030 and 25 per cent by 2040. In addition, PFAS limits for packaging with food contact will apply from 12 August 2026. Regardless of the material, the PPWR requires Packaging minimisation and harmonised labelling for material composition and sorting, which will be phased in from mid-2028.
These requirements are set against the reality of the coffee industry. Some roasting plants still use robust primary machines from the 1980s and invest in end-of-line automation first. In practice, the choice between paper, plastic or aluminium is therefore not only determined by the recyclability of the respective packaging material, but also by the respective machine runability on the inventory line.
Between flavour preservation and circulation capability
Against this background, Mondi, for example, supports the coffee industry with solutions for a wide range of packaging formats that combine sustainability, product protection and process reliability. Recyclable monomaterials and compostable paper capsules preserve flavour and quality thanks to their high barrier properties and open up ways to recyclability. In addition Efficient processing on existing filling lines, flexible printing options for a strong shelf impact and a Europe-wide production network that offers security of supply.
If you want to make plastic packaging recyclable, there is no getting round monomaterial. What is needed is a monomaterial family that runs stably on the existing packaging line and at the same time provides reliable proof of recycling.
If you ask the long-standing coffee packaging expert Wilbert van de Corput, there are There is no patent remedy for the decision between mono-PP or mono-PE. His position: „It always depends on the application.“ For coffee packaging up to one kilogramme, as is common for coffee beans, Mono-PP shows its strengths on existing systems for vertical form, fill and seal packaging (VFFS); the higher sealing temperature window of around 130 to 140 °C provides some leeway in the process. At Mondi one pre-applied PP valve This also eliminates the need for a separate valve station, which further streamlines the process.
The tendency of PP to crystallise at edges remains critical, according to the expert: large quad seal bags tend to form hard corners with a risk of breakage. In the coffee segment, this can be controlled by using more elastic structures and clean sealing profiles. Mono-PE scores with better stretchability and drop-test robustness with heavy bags, but requires tighter temperature control and reacts more sensitively to fluctuations.
Wilbert van de Corput knows that the next difference is in the valve: PE valves seal reliably on PE, PP valves are more demanding in terms of production technology. This is why many changeovers started with mono-PE, whereas today PP in bean and brick formats (for ground coffee) often provides better machinability. The decisive factor for the choice of approach remains which structure runs faster on the stock line and produces less waste.
Compostable packaging scores points
The PPWR also places stricter requirements on packaging that comes into direct contact with food and is therefore often contaminated with residues. Permeable coffee bags, filter coffee pods and soft single-serve units that are disposed of together with the contents must be be industrially compostable by 12 February 2028 at the latest. Compostable solutions come into their own where packaging material and coffee grounds are collected together.
For primary packaging, the realistic way forward is usually via recyclable designs: Innovative packaging such as Mondi's re/cycle VacuumPack with pre-applied valve enables fast running speeds and remains consistent in the material compound. What counts in capsule systems is the separability of the components. A recyclable lidding such as Mondi's CoffeeCapLid makes sorting easier and keeps valuable materials in the cycle.
Substitution of fossil materials works
Back in 2017, the Finnish coffee producer Paulig, in collaboration with Mondi part of the fossil polyethylene with bio-based PE. The CO₂ footprint of the packaging fell measurably. This first step effectively addressed the carbon footprint without fundamentally adapting the packaging machine or the packaging processes.
This was followed in 2024 by the leap to a mono-material structure for vacuum-packed ground coffee designed for recycling. The vacuum „brick“ kept its shape, The oxygen barrier reached the target level and the solution fits into existing filling processes. All in all, the journey from renewable feedstock to „design for recycling“ was successful - and in such a way that the cycle, quality and handling on the line were maintained.
There is also inspiration from Scandinavia when it comes to secondary packaging. For a Swedish coffee brand, the German packaging machine manufacturer Meurer, together with Mondi the plastic shrink film with a paper solution based on a kraft paper-based solution from Mondi. The solution fixes twelve coffee packs to the tray. Pre-punched folding dots provide support, while four to six adhesive dots secure the bundle. Meurer has designed its Paper Hood Machine (PHM) for paper webs, so that manufacturers can adapt their existing processes instead of building a new line.
From experiment to series
In practice, this means that primary packaging can be designed in such a way that it consists of a monostructure and is therefore easier to recycle. In secondary packaging, plastic can be replaced by paper, which also saves energy because the use of a shrink tunnel is no longer necessary. Thanks to the combination of material expertise and application technology for both paper and plastic Mondi can provide material-agnostic support for both. In-house barrier papers and film structures, printing and converting under one roof and testing facilities in the FlexStudios in Steinfeld shorten the path from trial to series production. In this way, coffee enjoyment can be combined with recycling requirements.
packaging journal 5/2025
This article was published in packaging journal 5/2025 (October).
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