Coffee bags are a very important part of coffee consumption, thanks to their dual role of transport and storage. After a visit to the Veolia domestic waste sorting and recovery centre near Bordeaux, we realised that traditional, bi-material coffee bags made of kraft and aluminium were very difficult to recycle. Following this realisation, and in order to reduce the ecological impact of our coffee bags, Belco decided to work on customisable and recyclable bags!

To redesign our range with more responsible bags, our quality team analysed 16 coffee bag samples. From single-material to multi-layer, with or without valve, everything was analysed in our laboratory.

To do this, our Quality team, made up of Jean Etchats and Jérémy Limousin, analysed washed Ethiopian coffee from the same roasting spit, 14, 30 and 60 days after bagging (a total of 58 tests!), to note :

• The watertightness of the bags
• The evolution of the coffee's taste over time

On a scale of 1 to 3, 3 being the highest, they analysed various parameters:

• Aromas, before and after the addition of water
• Flavour, or taste attributes, by cupping each coffee
• Changes in the intensity of aromas and flavours.

What's the aim? To measure the impact of bags on coffee oxidation and undesirable tastes such as cardboard or straw, while taking into account the level of recyclability.

The tests showed that 87% of the bags showed signs of oxidation after 2 months, whatever the tightness of the sachets.

Above all, we noticed that the presence of a valve was not a determining factor. In fact, of the 6 bags with the highest scores after 30 days, 4 had a valve and 2 did not.

So, in practical terms, we advise you to opt for bags made in Europe, and even better, in France. Use a single material, so that the bag is 100% recyclable.

At Belco Equipement, we realised that most of our product range was made up of bi-material bags, in kraft and aluminium. In France, these can be recycled in the paper-cardboard bin if the paper-cardboard material represents more than 50% of the bag.

Good news! Our bi-material kraft and aluminium bags contain between 50 and 80% paper fibre. They can therefore be recycled in French sorting facilities!

However, these bi-material bags do disrupt sorting systems. The whole bag goes into the paper stream, even though it contains a layer of aluminium. Unfortunately, optical sorters have great difficulty detecting this layer.

A final problem? In Europe, we don't ask for 50% paper fibre, but 85%. This means that our bi-material bags will not be recycled outside France.

Between our visit to the Veolia centre, our bag tests and this new awareness of our range, we made a choice.

Firstly, to offer an alternative to the kraft/aluminium duo, a kraft/plastic duo that is less disruptive for our sorting systems and 100% French.

And thirdly, to opt for a single-material bag, 100% plastic and therefore 100% recyclable in France and internationally.

That's why we're offering a brand-new range of customisable bags, 100% made in France, 100% polyethylene, 100% recyclable in France and Europe, and valve-free. But, with all the conservation qualities you'd expect!