Nature Works and IMA Coffee collaborate on compostable coffee pods for Keurig Brewers 

ITALY – Nature Works has partnered with Italian packager IMA Coffee to develop compostable coffee pods compatible with Keurig brewers. 

Leveraging Nature Works’ expertise in processing Ingeo PLA biopolymer and IMA Coffee’s manufacturing prowess in processing and packaging technologies, the collaboration has yielded a simplified compostable coffee pod solution and supply chain, addressing previous challenges. 

Flavio Di Marcotullio, Nature Works’ strategic marketing manager for Single Serve Beverages, emphasizes that this solution alleviates the burden on brands and roasters seeking a compostable pod with a long shelf life that preserves coffee’s taste and aroma.  

The Ingeo pods ensure a reliable brewing experience without compromising performance for sustainability. 

To achieve comparable production rates to conventional PP capsules, Nature Works employed non-compounded, highly crystalline, and heat-resistant Ingeo PLA grades for the capsule body. 

This, combined with a refined single-stage thermoforming process, delivers efficiency without compromising quality. 

Furthermore, using Ingeo for the capsule body, nonwoven filter, and multi-layer top lidding ensures cost-effectiveness and consistency during heat sealing, crucial for preserving coffee quality. 

The partnership’s success culminated in a presentation at the AMI Single-Serve Capsules conference, showcasing IMA Coffee’s expertise in validating the solution through compatibility and micro-leakage testing. 

Alessandro Nobili, head of product and project management at IMA Coffee’s Packaging division, underscores IMA’s commitment to sustainability, which facilitated the adaptation of packaging technologies for compostable materials. 

Through IMA OpenLab, their network of technological laboratories, the collaboration achieved the proper configuration of coffee pod filling and sealing machines, enabling high-precision assembly at commercial line speeds. 

This partnership lays the groundwork for turnkey, high-speed production lines offering a market-ready compostable and sustainable solution, ensuring top-quality brewing while advancing ecological innovations in the single-serve coffee market.  

In a similar development, Keurig Dr Pepper recently revealed plans to introduce an innovative approach to single-serve coffee packaging, marking a significant shift towards sustainability in the industry. 

The company’s latest innovation involves wrapping roasted coffee beans in a protective plant-based coating, departing from conventional plastic or aluminum materials. 

The new pods, known as K-Rounds, are designed to be compatible with the new Keurig Alta brewer, forming part of a revamped Keurig system aimed at providing consumers with a seamless experience in creating a variety of hot and cold barista-style beverages, without the need for mastering complex brewing techniques.

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