Last week, we used the last of our old soft plastic packaging! From this week onwards, all our retail coffee orders (250g, 400-500g and 1kg) will come in ABA home compostable certified bags.
Supplied by Eco Barista, these are "made from sugarcane, cassava and corn", verified home compostable by the Australian Bioplastics Association (ABA) and complying with the Home Composting Australian Standard AS 5810-2010 (which requires materials to go through a ‘worm test’, something that Euro standards do not do apparently).
But don’t get tricked: these bags are tough.
This specific version of Ecobarita’s range comes with an extra internal lining layer at a premium cost. We chose it precisely because it keeps the beans sealed and fully protected throughout their peak flavour life—and beyond. (The bags will stay solid for months but we DO encourage you to brew our coffees within our recommended brewing window!)
And why home compostable, you may ask?
Fair question. The truth is that there are so many options at the moment, and it’s hard to know what the best single-use packaging material really is (beyond, obviously, reusable containers).
We tried some paper-based recyclable options, but those didn’t meet our quality expectations. As for soft plastic, it’s unclear whether it all gets actually recycled. We settled on these certified home compostable bags for their balance between quality and environmental qualities. Even if many councils don’t yet accept this kind of waste, we believe this will evolve soon, and we’ll be ready for it; plus, its base material is renewable and plant-based—so we think this move away from oil is a win. If more evidence and better options become available, we’ll be there to adjust course and adapt.
Long story short, our bags are now ABA home compostable certified. Learn more about how to dispose of them and how to take action.
From little things…