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Coffee Solution

Develop cellulose-based solutions to reimagine industrial and engineering material needs.

Problem

The coffee industry faces a significant plastics problem that affects every stage from bean to cup :

Single-Use Plastics

Coffee uses vast amounts of disposable cups, lids and stirrers with plastic linings that are hard to recycle. Billions are landfilled or littered globally, contributing to persistent pollution.

"400 million tonnes of plastic produced annually; half is single-use — only 10% is recycled."

World Environment Day 2025, UNEP report

Packaging Waste

Plastic dominates packaging for coffee beans and instant coffee, leading to huge single-use, non-biodegradable waste streams and fossil fuel emissions, worsening the plastic crisis.

"19–23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems yearly."

UNEP Plastic Pollution report

Coffee Pods and Capsules

The surge in plastic coffee pods (e.g., K-Cups) adds hundreds of thousands of tonnes of mostly unrecycled waste yearly. Most pods end up in landfill due to mixed materials.

"Coffee pods generate approximately 576,000 tonnes of waste each year."

Global coffee capsule waste;

Mongabay & highlighted in UN plastics discussions

Microplastics Contamination

Plastic linings and packaging break down, releasing microplastics into water, soil, and drinks, posing risks to humans and wildlife.

"Microplastics found in food, water, air; people may ingest 50,000+ plastic particles yearly."

World Environment Day 2025, UNEP report

Challenges in Recycling

Most coffee-related plastics are hard or unprofitable to recycle due to contamination and composite design. Technical recyclability does not translate to actual recovery.

"Only 10% of plastics are recycled; projected to triple in marine environments by 2040."

UNEP Plastic Pollution report

Environmental Impact

Plastic coffee products create emissions, pollute land and sea, and disrupt marine life and habitats, all exacerbated by rising plastic production and weak recycling systems.

"Annual cost of environmental and social damage from plastic pollution is US$300–600 billion."

UN Beat Plastic Pollution, 2025

Policy

There are growing international efforts to tackle plastics pollution in the coffee industry by highlighting specific policies and their implementation dates across eight leading regions. The regulations target single-use plastics, including coffee cups, lids, pods, stirrers, and packaging. Measures include outright bans, deposit return systems, and requirements for reusable or compostable materials.

Notable examples are the European Union’s Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation, Hong Kong’s phased ban on single-use items, and the U.S. Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Act. These diverse approaches reflect a growing global movement to reduce plastic waste and drive sustainability in the coffee sector.

European Union

Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), adopted 2022; requirements phased by 2030/2035

Targets pods, packaging, and single-use cups

Australia

National Waste Policy Action Plan (adopted 2019), state-level bans (e.g., South Australia ban on coffee cups/lids, March 2022); national bans phased by 2025

Bans/restricts single-use coffee cups/lids; mandates compostables and reusable campaigns in cafés

South Korea

“Resource Circulation Act” (2018); disposable cup deposit scheme introduced 2022; full single-use bans by 2027

Starbucks and others required to offer reusable or returnable cup schemes

United States

Federal: “Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Act” (introduced 2020, federal procurement phase-outs from 2023–2024); multiple state/local bans enacted 2019–2025

Restricts single-use items; promotes compostables and reusables in coffee shops