Pod coffee lovers will now be able to drink up guilt-free with the introduction into Australia of a 100 per cent biodegradable capsule.
There are about a million machines in Australia; the rate of growth is 25 per cent per year, and we consume an estimate 2.5 million to 3 million capsules a day – enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool every fortnight.
The pods also take hundreds of years to degrade – a concern for consumers who are forced to put damaging plastic or aluminium pods in their rubbish. The patent on Nespresso, the most popular pod brand, ran out in 2010 and a number of alternative capsules have come on the market since then, all with their own quality issues, but none ticking the green box.
But when Michael Scott, now managing director of the EcoCaffe Company, was flicking through LinkedIn, he spotted former Nespresso CEO Jean-Paul Gaillard proudly spruiking his Ethical Coffee Company biodegradable pods.
After several legal issues were overcome in Europe, the pods are now available in Australia, both online and through specialist stores.
“It’s a genuine espresso. There are a number of independent taste test done across Europe and they all demonstrate that the Ethical Coffee Company espresso is as good as or better then Nespresso,” Mr Scott said.
While the pods can be thrown in the green waste, they may soon get approval for disposal in the backyard compost or worm farm. “It’s gone in 180 days maximum,” he said.
A machine is more than likely to be on every second family’s Christmas list.
Originally published in the Daily Telegraph
