As the coffee cup recycling debate continues to grab national headlines, a new eco-innovation has launched which could set a new standard for another key circular economy conundrum: non-biodegradable coffee capsules.
Start-up firm Halo Coffee, which has been supported by Cranfield University’s Business Incubation Centre (CUBIC), claims to have developed the world’s first fully compostable capsule for premium-quality coffee.
The capsules, which are compatible with any leading domestic coffee machine, have been designed from a unique blend of bamboo and paper which can be put in the home food bin when finished with. While traditional aluminium capsules can take up to 200 years to biodegrade, the Halo capsule dissolves completely within 90 days, meaning this design could effectively put an end to the 13,500 non-biodegradable coffee capsules that Halo says are ending up in landfill every minute.