Food & Wine

Coles’ new game-changing coffee pods

Over the last two years our coffee habits have certainly changed. There’s been a surge in sales for at-home coffee options, spurred along by pandemic restrictions and lockdowns. 

Supermarket giant Coles saw a 30% spike in coffee pod sales and a 20% rise in sachet coffee as the nation battled Covid-19.

In light of this, Coles have decided to release their very own brand of compostable coffee pod – of course, making it the first major Aussie retailer to do so.

“We know how much Australians love drinking quality coffee and the pandemic really has changed the way we drink our coffee,” Coles general manager of grocery Leanne White shared.

“More people are reaching for convenient, cafe-style coffee at home as flexible working becomes the norm. With coffee pods becoming so much more popular, we wanted to develop an option for eco-conscious customers to dispose of their pods at home, instead of in their landfill bin.”

The new Coles Urban Coffee Culture Organic home compostable pods are made with bio-sourced cellulose and vegetable oils. These break down in about the same amount of time as an orange peel.

“We are always looking for ways to reduce problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic from Coles Own Brand products, and offering a home compostable coffee pods option is one way of doing it,” Ms White continued.

She described it as a “game-changer” for at-home coffee experiences and for those worried about whether taste would be compromised, Ms White said it still had the “same great taste ... but now with the added bonus of being compostable at home”.

Meanwhile, Melbourne-based coffee company Grinders also recently introduced compostable coffee capsules to its popular range.

Each of the coffee capsules is made from bio-based, compostable resin and is compatible with all ‘original’ Nespresso coffee capsule machines.

Coles has a goal to have all its Own Brand product packaging 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

The pods, which can be used in machines designed for Nespresso-style coffee pods, have been certified by the Australasian Bioplastics Association and will be available in Coles supermarkets from today, for $4.50 for a pack of 10.

Images: Getty

Tags:
Coles, food & wine, coffeee pods, coffee, environmental