Answers to
frequently asked questions
How long does it take for the coffee capsules to biodegrade?
Home-compostable plastic decomposes in garden compost through the activity of bacteria or other living organisms in water, CO2 and biomass. These specially certified materials decompose within a set period of time and leave no visible or toxic residues in the garden compost. The biodegrading process in home compost takes a maximum of twelve months.
How should the capsules ideally be disposed of?
Blue Circle processes materials which are certified with the labels ‘OK compost HOME’ and ‘OK compost INDUSTRIAL’ (TÜV Austria Belgium NV, no. S0464, OK Compost Home). It can be disposed of in garden compost and decomposes there.
Which coffee machines are the capsules compatible with?
The Blue Circle coffee capsule is a single-portion capsule with a corresponding lid foil which has been specially developed for Nespresso® capsule coffee machines.
The capsule together with the lid foil is home-compostable and does not contain any aluminium, PLA or PP.
(Nespresso is a registered trademark of Nestlé S.A. There is no affiliation to Blue Circle Packaging)
What are the biodegradable coffee capsules made of?
Blue Circle uses raw materials from renewable sources and enters into partnerships with leading manufacturers who guarantee GM-free production for this. The material SUN CIRCLE is used for the Blue Circle capsules. This is made from the hulls of sunflower seeds, which is a by-product of the food industry, a rock meal mixture as a mineral filler and a biogenic plastic based on maize starch. In addition to conserving fossil resources, this blend of raw materials boasts very good properties (e.g. oxygen barrier function). No agricultural land used for food production is needed to produce the capsule raw material.
What is the advantage of these capsules over regular coffee capsules?
The capsule together with the lid foil is home-compostable and does not contain any aluminium. PLA or PP. It therefore plays a major part in the avoidance of waste and reduces the carbon emissions caused by transportation to composting and recycling facilities.
Is the Blue Circle capsule’s sealing foil likewise home-compostable?
Yes. The multilayer sealing foil consists of three layers of paper including a barrier layer. It is completely home-compostable, as tested by TÜV Austria. Nothing but heat is used to connect it to the capsule, in other words to seal the capsule.
What is left of the Blue Circle capsule after composting?
The degradation products are water, CO2 and biomass. The nutrients in the coffee remain within the materials cycle and serve as soil fertiliser.