Packaging
COFFEE PACKAGING FAQs
Packaging is a big talking point in coffee. Our packaging is something that we get asked about a lot.
In this FAQs we aim to answer some of our most commonly asked questions on packaging, and share some of our plans for the future.
How does your packaging keep coffee fresh?
Resealable, clever packaging.
More useful than a bag that looks great, is a bag which works great, something that keeps coffee fresher for longer and reduces food and packaging waste.
Our 1kg and 250g coffee bags are lined with foil-lined plastic, this keeps air, moisture and light out of the coffee, all of which will can cause coffee to degrade faster. Once roasted, coffee releases gas, mainly CO2. Our bags have a plastic valve to allow the gas to escape (without letting air in).
When designing our packaging, we consider the needs of all of our customers, those serving coffee in cafes and restaurants, and those making Extract Coffee at home too.
The difference between old and fresh coffee becomes particularly noticable when brewing espresso or filter coffee on commercial machines. So for customers serving Extract in their cafe or restaurant, preserving freshness is an essential to making high quality coffee. Coffee which doesn't have a valve and isn't properly degassed will be bubbly and won't taste right either. So the valve is also essential.
Our 250g bags are designed for at-home customers. In addition to the liner and valve, they have a resealabale zip which means customers at home can keep air out of your coffee bag and keep your coffee fresher for longer.
How sustainable is your packaging?
Working towards better packaging
The primary purpose of coffee packaging is to preserve the quality of the coffee. That means keeping out air, moisture and light. Foiled lined plastics do this best but are difficult to recycle and usually end up in landfill.
Right now, a perfect solution simply doesn’t exist. So, we are making imperfect progress in the right direction, looking for a low carbon material that can be kept out of landfill.
Our journey so far has involved feeding compostable packaging to worms, testing anaerobic digesters and lengthy calculations on the carbon footprint of plastic vs paper vs tin.
There is not yet anything that works as well as foiled lined plastic. Very few recyclable or compostable plastics are widely recycled and many of these end up landfill too. We need new solutions and/or improvements to the UK’s recycling infrastructure. We’re working on it and we’ll keep you posted!
In the meantime we've taken steps to reduce our packaging. Nifty graphic design handiwork means we’ve cut the variations of bags and labels we were using for each coffee, and reduced our packaging waste as a result.
How do I open your resealable bags?
3 steps to master the zips
Can't get your head around how to open our zip-seal bags? Follow these three-steps to help you master the zip seal on our 250g bags.
1. Open the bag using the zip on the back (not the zip on the front)
2. Once unzipped, open the zip seal on the inside of the pack. (it can be a bit stiff, but will open)
3. When you are finished, push the zip seal back together to keep your coffee fresh.
Should I display your coffee bags in my cafe?
COFFEE BAGS WITH SHELF APPEAL
We pride ourselves on being a business of storytellers, and everything that leaves our roastery, down to our bags, share the stories we care about most.
Our bags are made for being displayed and proudly adorn the shelves of cafes and restaurants across the UK. The recognisable Extract ‘E’ gives customers an assurance of quality, and can start a conversation between customer and barista about the incredible coffee you serve.
If you'd like any additional POS to help you shae your coffee story, email our superstar marketing team on marketing@extractcoffee.co.uk
