The latest diet fad to hit the country is the green coffee bean! Klaus Becker, Managing Director of Caturra is taking “green” coffee to an all time high here in South Africa. In the long run this will be worth its weight in gold for the planet.
Caturra has recently rolled out its compostable packaging for its complete range of espresso, filter and organic coffees. The new clean look is now available nationwide at Pick n Pay, Spar, Makro and Food Lover’s Market stores for under R50 per 250g pack.
This environmentally conscious company sought advice from a UK company about enhancing their packaging to match their green ethics. These packs were specifically developed using various layers of NatureFlex™ renewable compostable films in their construction.
During the development of these films, they were placed in a simulated compost heap. After a mere 12 weeks, they degraded completely, being fully absorbed into the soil.
Becker (pictured below) says: “South Africans consume more than 20 000 tons of coffee per annum. A major shift is being made in this country to reduce, reuse and recycle. Imagine if all these people made use of compostable bags, what a significant decrease in the South African carbon footprint they could make! Now everything from Bean to Bag can be composted. These films are perfect for the coffee market whose concerns are about sustainability and renewability and I am very excited about this concept.”
How to compost your coffee bag
“In partnership with our packaging company, we have devised a very intricate pouch - one of first in the world to achieve this significant milestone. This is gaining momentum globally and is, we believe, the start of a greener solution to packaging.
Yet we all know the reluctance of South Africans to compost their organic waste.
“Very often compostable packaging materials end up in the recycling system, where it creates havoc by being mixed up with recyclable materials. This leads to a weakening of our recycled end products,” says Elma Pollard.
“I have found that mostly people don’t compost their organic waste as they simply don’t know how to do it and therefore don’t have the confidence to try,” she said.
This is why Caturra has partnered with the Green Times to ensure consumers have access to the necessary composting information.
Organic growers manage all ecosystems
For coffee loving and ethical consumers who are committed to minimising their carbon footprint and supporting sustainable business practices, the Organic range of ground and roasted beans is also encapsulated in this revolutionary green packaging.
The organic beans are sourced from farmers who have renounced all synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. These farmers must comply with stringent standards that regulate the methods, practices and substances they use on their farms. Organic farmers manage their entire ecosystems as much as they manage a single crop because biodiversity and soil biology are crucial to create healthy conditions for agriculture.
This bold initiative by Caturra is the perfect place to start making a difference and the first step towards a truly green cup of coffee enjoyed on a greener planet.
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