The COFFEECAP project develops a coffee capsule compostable and biodegradable in the marine environment 



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## The COFFEECAP project develops a coffee capsule compostable and biodegradable in the marine environment The Valencian company Coffee Productions and AINIA have collaborated in the development of this prototype, together with the UJI, which represents a technological solution to the challenge of achieving more sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging.

09/03/2022 |
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The Valencian company Coffee Productions and AINIA have collaborated in the development of this prototype, together with the UJI, which represents a technological solution to the challenge of achieving more sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging.

Capsule coffee is a growing trend in the European market, accounting for 23% of household coffee consumption. According to a report by the Spanish Coffee Association (AECafé), France and Portugal stand out, where in 2020 the volume consumed of coffee in capsules stood at 34% and 30% of the total volume, respectively. In Spain, capsule coffee consumption represents 16% of total coffee consumption, exceeding the figures for Italy and Germany. However, coffee capsules involve complex waste management because, in addition to their small size, they often contain plastic, aluminium and organic waste, which hinder the recycling process and have a significant environmental impact.

In addition to all this, the European Commission is concerned about waste that threatens marine ecosystems and is reflected in packaging trends, currently conditioned by the 2030 Agenda and the European Directive banning single-use plastic and the 2030 Agenda.

Coffee Productions has taken up the challenge of combining the safety and quality of its capsule products with a more sustainable management of this waste. To this end, the manager of Coffee Productions, Alberto Forteza, explained that its objective "is to produce a wide range of quality products with commitment and dedication, committed to the environment, whether in the environmental or health-related fields".

Among the technological solutions to meet this challenge is the production of bioplastics from food by-products, or the production of compostable and recyclable materials. In this sense, AINIA has collaborated with the Valencian company Coffee Productions in the development of a coffee capsule with a high oxygen barrier, compostable and biodegradable in the sea.

**Innovation for more sustainable capsules**

In the studies carried out to obtain this prototype, the capsule has achieved 30% biodegradation in the sea in nine months. In industrial composting conditions, this time is reduced to just over a month.

According to the technical director of Coffee Productions, David Vila, "we have looked for sustainable materials that fulfil the dual function of maintaining the safety of the packaging, without altering either the quality or any of the properties of the coffee".

Luis Gil, a technician in AINIA's packaging line, added that "obtaining this prototype represents a technological solution to the challenge of achieving more sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging. On the one hand, it is an industrialisable capsule that fulfils the barrier function of preserving the useful life of the coffee, and on the other hand, it respects the requirements of compostability and marine biodegradation".

The prototype developed has among its components polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biopolymer produced by bacteria by fermentation of sugar or lipids. The best known application of these biopolymers is the manufacture of disposable bottles, bags and other single-use products such as nappies, napkins, cups and cutlery.

**Biodegradation in the sea**

To analyse the biodegradation of these capsules, AINIA has collaborated with the Advanced Polymers and Materials Research Group of the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón (UJI), coordinated by Luis Cabedo, who has analysed their decomposition in the simulated and real marine environment, and has found that "in nine months of marine immersion, the capsules have lost around 30% of their weight, in a safe way, which means that they are expected to disappear completely in approximately three years".

"Sustainability is an increasingly important element for consumers when it comes to choosing one product over another. At AINIA we are working on several lines of research for the production of biopolymers from industrial by-products such as juice waste, beetroot, solid urban waste, pruning waste, nut shells and pits or cheese whey, among others," explained Luis Gil.

The COFFEECAP project "Development of a coffee capsule with improved barrier properties" has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with the aim of promoting technological development, innovation and quality research.

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