TORONTO, Sept. 23, 2015 /CNW/ - Club Coffee announces that it has earned Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certification for PῧrPod100™ (www.PurPod100.com), the world's first certified 100% compostable single-serve pod for coffee, tea and other hot beverages.
BPI certification requires that products be tested in approved independent laboratories and then be independently verified according to scientific standards ASTM D6400 and D6868. "Third-party certification is important because it validates that PῧrPod100™ breaks down in large-scale composting," says John Pigott, Club Coffee CEO. "Equally important, this external certification tells consumers that they can buy the right solution to the mounting problem of waste and its impact on the environment associated with single-serve formats. It also offers a solution for municipal governments who see a growing number of single-serve pods flooding their landfills.
Club Coffee developed PῧrPod100™ in collaboration with the University of Guelph's Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC). University president Franco Vaccarino notes, "This is a wonderful example of how research and innovation at the University of Guelph makes a difference around the world. This successful partnership highlights how we use our discoveries to produce tangible solutions to real-life issues."
Certification by the BPI confirms that PῧrPod100™ is "industrially compostable," meaning that it fully breaks down in large-scale commercial composting processes. Local governments across Canada are investing in composting processes to divert food and other organic waste to productive uses and away from landfills.
"Club Coffee is the first manufacturer to earn BPI certification for single-serve pods," says Rhodes Yepsen, executive director, BPI. "Diverting products associated with food residuals away from disposal is complicated, and BPI certification is a critical piece of the process, ensuring that items will break down in a timely manner in the appropriate composting environment, and not have a negative impact on the quality of the finished compost."
Club Coffee created PῧrPod100™ in response to consumer concerns about the ever-increasing waste associated with traditional single-serve pods and the need for an alternative that would still deliver a great taste experience, while helping to protect the environment. PῧrPod100™ is compatible with most Keurig®-style brewing systems, including the new Keurig® 2.0 brewers. Its successful BPI certification was earned partly because of the pod's innovative use of plant-based resins and its use of the coffee "chaff," the coffee bean skin left over from the roasting process, in the pod's distinctive design.
Club Coffee continues to work with Canadian and U.S. municipalities, composting manufacturers, well-known retailers and recognized food/coffee brands to provide consumers with access to products using PῧrPod100™ technology.
"We support progressive change in the packaging value chain," said James D. Downham, president and CEO, PAC Packaging Consortium. "As many companies are working to offer more sustainable solutions, the world's first certified, fully compostable single-serve pod is a significant milestone in sustainable packaging that should be celebrated."
The certification announcement is also being saluted by composting leaders. "Just like every manufacturing process, there are standards and production requirements at compost facilities to ensure compost product quality," says Susan Antler, executive director, Compost Council of Canada. "While each compost facility has specific criteria as to the types of organic residuals that will be accepted and processed, successfully undergoing certification testing for compostability is a reflection of Club Coffee's leadership and commitment to the compost industry's vision and efforts to recover organic residuals and produce quality compost products for soil health and vitality."
"Certification of 100% compostable pods cuts through confusing single-serve coffee product claims," says Club Coffee's Pigott. "Until now, consumers have had no options other than adding single-serve pods to their garbage. In today's market, some pods claim to be partially biodegradable, while others tout some recyclability – but none of those claims are backed by independent third-party validation. In contrast, BPI certification of PῧrPod100™ provides consumers with clear evidence that the only convenient and proven solution is certified 100% compostable pods filled with the high-quality coffee, tea and hot beverages that they expect from single-serve."
About Club Coffee – www.clubcoffee.ca
Since 1906, Club Coffee has built a reputation for quality and innovation. It has close to 500 custom label products and more than 200 Club Coffee branded products, making it the largest roaster, contract manufacturer and distributor of packaged coffees that Canadians buy from grocery stores. Club Coffee fully meets the stringent requirements for Organic, Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade and Kosher certifications, and is a leader in developing sustainable coffee solutions.
About the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) – www.bpiworld.org
The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) is a not-for-profit organization that educates, advocates, and certifies materials as compostable in large-scale composting facilities. All certified products and materials must meet ASTM D6400 or D6868 test requirements, as performed in a BPI-approved laboratory, whose results are then certified by an independent third party. The BPI is the largest certification organization for compostable products in North America and its Compostable Logo is recognized by composters and manufacturers across the continent.
About the Compost Council of Canada (CCC) – www.compost.org
The Compost Council of Canada is a national non-profit, member-driven organization with a charter to advocate and advance organics residuals recycling and compost use. It serves as the central resource and network for the compost industry in Canada and, through its members, contributes to the environmental sustainability of the communities in which they operate.
About the University of Guelph and its Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC)
Located at the University of Guelph, the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre is an interdisciplinary centre where plant biologists, chemists and engineers converge to investigate and commercialize biomaterials.
