Coffee supplier: Plastic packaging is currently the most environmentally friendly alternative

Presenting the argument for plastic as a packaging material is often complex, making it difficult to persuade customers that, used correctly and with a clear recycling policy, plastic is better for the environment than paper or, in Slurp’s case, aluminium.

To maintain the freshness of coffee, Slurp has been using a sophisticated three-layer packaging system which includes paper on the outside, aluminium as an oxygen barrier and plastic on the inside sitting next to the product.

When Slurp recently came to re-design their packaging, environmental impact came high on its list of priorities.  Slurp soon realized that recycling a three-layer package is difficult, a large amount of energy is required to produce aluminium and the outside paper-layer only served to attract customers.

Slurp was convinced that for a single-layer packaging, plastic was the best solution. The ability to recycle plastic, turn it back into raw material or harness energy through its disposal also influenced their decision. “We are very concerned with how we can protect our environment. That is why for now our packages are 100 % plastic,” says co-founder Rafael Linnankoski at Slurp.

It’s a story that mirrors Rani Plast’s sustainability strategy when it comes to the recycling and re-use of plastic. The full story about Slurp is available here.