ANALYSIS | PACKAGING
tea system single-serve units’ from Recital 11, and point g (capsules) from Article 3 mandating com- posting as end-of-life. Ries gave the following justifica- tion for the amendments pertaining to capsules: “Mandatory compostability for certain types of packag- ing should be limited to applications where the organic content is difficult to separate from the packaging [...] the single-use unit needed to hold a coffee or tea can be made of alumini- um or plastic and can already be sorted and recycled. Recycling should be favoured in order to keep the materials in the circuit as long as possible, whereas after composting and anaerobic digestion, virgin materials must be sought to make new products.” Furthermore, the inclu-
sion of beverage system capsules in the definition of packaging also changes in the proposed amendment with the addition of “... intended to be disposed empty after use” in Article 3(1)(a).
Compostable or not If the above proposed amendments meet the acceptance of the European Parliament, we will see a relatively undisturbed organic growth trajectory of the single serve capsules market with the necessary
adjustments to drive more sustainable disposal, but format and material chang- es will be based on volun- tary EPR initiatives, as opposed to mandated. But what if the original
stipulation for all capsules to be composted is sustained? Within two years of the regulation coming to force, all European coffee capsules system would need be composted either via compostable plastics or cellulose/fibre-based solutions. At this point there are 11 major capsules systems on the market in Europe, of which each is designed within specific material parameters in mind. First and foremost, it will
not be feasible (either technologically or commer- cially) to simply substitute the capsule design into compostable. What this means is that some brands/ designs will be forced out of the competitive landscape. Second, while some excellent compostable solutions already exist for major systems such as Nespresso or A Modo Mio, we are risking an influx of “value” compostable solutions that are not fully optimised in terms of coffee preservation as well as brewer interaction. Conse- quently, a sub-standard experience may see consumer preferences shift away from the single serve
About the report and author
AMI’s study Single Serve Capsules - Global Market Overview 2022 provides a detailed overview of the single-serve capsules systems available on the market and maps out the supply chain in the major end-use geographies. The study gathers production details on a site-by-site basis and these building blocks create an analysis of demand. Martyna Fong, Director Market Intelligence at AMI, has led the develop- ment of AMI’s rapid expansion of Capsules events and consulting. Contact:
martyna.fong@
amiplastics.com
format altogether, thus forcing a downward spiral of single-serve formats. Next: the scale. There
were 55bn empty capsules produced in Europe in 2022, of which only around 2bn compostable, so mandating material change would turn the supply chain upside down. There is a variety of compostable materials available, but a narrow choice of composta- ble high-barrier films. The competitive landscape will accommodate more suppliers, which is positive, and in the meantime the market will have to accept medium-barrier solutions with an impact of shorter product shelf-life in logistics and distribution. Composta- ble solutions still come at a
Single-Serve Capsules conference
AMI’s Single-Serve Capsules conference on 26-28 September in Barcelona, Spain, is a unique forum to debate and evaluate the global trends, innovation, challenges and opportunities facing the industry through the value chain of plastic and metal capsules. This includes capsule fillers, coffee roasters, capsule moulders, material suppliers, technology and machinery suppliers.
14 PLASTICS RECYCLING WORLD | May/June 2023
steep price premium, but economies of scale and market forces will likely help manage the new cost structure. This magnitude of change within a very tight timeline of 24 month isn’t feasible. A lead time of 12-18 months is necessary for empty capsule production set-up and there are still severe delays with part availability and interna- tional logistics. In addition, certification process for industrial composting standards takes several months to obtain. The future of the global single serve capsules industry very much depends on the final wording of the PPWR. The amendments to the revision are due to be submitted in May 2023 and subsequently discussed by relevant committees by autumn 2023. The revisions will likely be finalised by the current EU parliament before May 2024. n This is an edited version of a white paper. Download the full white paper here.
www.plasticsrecyclingworld.com
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