Application Spotlight: GPS Produces BPI Certified High-Barrier, Compostable Coffee Capsule
Project Overview
Green Packaging Solutions (GPS), a commercially compostable coffee capsule producer, is aiming to be a leading provider of sustainable solutions in the coffee capsule industry. The company identified a growing demand for sustainable solutions in the market – fueled by increasingly stringent global environmental legislation and continued demand from consumers for sustainable packaging and products – but found a lack of viable options.
“Sustainable solutions are driving market demand, and consumers in the U.S are voting with their wallet. They're saying to their favorite brands, coffee brands, ice cream brands, please give me sustainable packaging; GPS aims to be the leader on this compostable capsule solution,” said Miguel Gonzalez Jr., Chief Commercial Officer at GPS.
Their first challenge was developing a capsule that would address the coffee capsule market’s significant environmental impact.
“Looking at the current capsule business in the U.S., there are currently 33 million households with a single-serve coffee brewer. If you consider an average of two and a half persons per household, you get a sense of the scale of the environmental impact – we're talking about millions of coffee pods ending up in landfills," Gonzalez Jr. said.
The second challenge was in bringing to market a high-quality product that would also be compatible with widely available coffee brewers.
“The vision of GPS is to provide a capsule that can be largely used worldwide, while also providing a level of compostability that can protect the world we’re living in,” said Oscar Chow, Co-Founder of GPS.
To achieve the necessary balance between quality, sustainability, and compatibility, GPS reached out to Husky for its extensive packaging experience, its Multi-Layer technology, and the HyperSync™ system, which was designed to produce high-quality thinwall food and industrial packaging and medical applications.
Multi-Layer technology played a pivotal role for the company, enabling GPS to create barriers against oxygen and moisture that safeguard product freshness throughout its lifecycle.
“A Multi-Layer capsule is the only way to deliver perfect barriers for oxygen, humidity, and moisture, ensuring we secure the freshness of the product,” Roberto Stefanoni, Co-Founder and CEO at GPS, adding that with the HyperSync™ system, the company was able to harness the full potential of its proprietary formulation of compostable materials, resulting in a capsule that has far exceeded commercial composting standards.
“When you combine our proprietary formulation with Husky's industry-leading co-injection systems and Multi-Layer technology, it’s a true competitive advantage. We are now the only coffee capsule with a PVOH barrier that decomposes in a commercial facility in 90 days,” Stefanoni said, explaining that this success is just the first step for GPS’ innovative coffee capsules.
“Husky’s expertise and technology will enable us to go from zero to 200 million capsules in year one, and in year two, we’re looking at another 200 million.”
Husky’s Sustainable Multi-Layer Technology
Husky's Multi-Layer thinwall packaging solutions harness the capabilities of the HyperSync™ injection molding machines, featuring a seamlessly integrated second injection unit. This integration enables synchronized actuation of the two injection units and the hot runner through advanced machine controls. Our proprietary algorithms then further streamline the control of the intricate co-injection process, providing unparalleled ease and intuitive operation.
By employing a functional barrier component sandwiched between two skin layers, we can provide an enhanced barrier capability that keeps products safe and fresh longer. Husky’s accurate layer control offers unmatched freedom in selecting the amount, thickness, and placement of the functional material, enabling sustainable packaging with tailored aesthetics and superior performance.
NEXT STEPS
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