Reusable Coffee Bean Packaging Ideas for Small Cafes and Roasters
Nav Heir
Two bags of coffee are being held in two hands.
You want to do the right thing by using reusable coffee packaging for your coffee beans, but it seems like all of your options are way over budget. But are they? Thanks to consumer demand, there are many types of reusable coffee packaging on the market.
In this guide, you’re going to learn about the wealth of reusable coffee bean packaging options available to you. They all have different reusable use cases, but all are considered a part of a good, sustainable coffee packaging strategy.
Why Is Sustainable Packaging Important?
The coffee industry uses billions of non-recyclable, non-reusable coffee bags each year. Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental cost of using those bags. And so if you want to continue to sell coffee beans to your consumers, considering sustainable packaging is important.
While you have a window to implement sustainable options as the consumer tide shifts, very soon, it will not just be consumers that demand sustainable packaging, but also governments.
For example, Europe has strict goals set to kick in in the next ten years over the type of packaging anyone selling in the EU must use. Those same types of constraints will affect your business soon, no matter where you’re selling your coffee beans.
Reduce the Environmental Impact of the Coffee Industry
Single-use coffee bean bags end up in landfills and contribute to negative impacts on the environment, including releasing greenhouse gases and contaminating groundwater that contribute to the destruction of natural habitats.
Each time you choose to package your coffee in reusable coffee packaging, you eliminate one bag that would’ve ended up in a landfill. Besides that, you provide a sustainable solution for your customers by providing them with a bag.
Attract Environmentally-Conscious Consumers
Sustainable packaging is increasingly an important factor in how consumers decide which brand to spend their dollars with. While it may not sound as exciting a selling point as the flavor notes of your coffee, it’s becoming almost as important.
Customers don’t care just about the end product but also about everything that has gone into producing and packaging the product. A PricewaterhouseCoopers survey indicated that consumers were willing to pay almost 10% more for products sourced and produced sustainably.
Create a Strong Brand Identity
If you can really align yourself with sustainability, then having that story woven into your packaging is a real asset. Through the use of reusable packaging, you can illustrate your commitment to earth-friendly initiatives. That allows sustainability to be a central part of your brand value, providing something clear and definable that your customers can connect with.
Build Loyality
Certain reusable packaging systems have a loyalty factor built into them. An example of that would be a refill system or a deposit-for-return system. This can encourage your customers to come back again and again. In addition to simply having them come back in to refill or return, you can also build loyalty by simply providing sustainable packaging.
What Is Reusable Coffee Packaging?
Reusable coffee packaging is anything that allows your customers to reuse the same container multiple times. This is a different approach to sustainable packaging than, for example, compostable or recyclable packaging.
Recyclable packaging can be reused in the sense that it is broken down, and then the material is used again for new packaging or something else. And compostable packaging allows the earth to reuse the packaging as fertilizer. But in this article, we are exploring reusable packaging in the sense that the packaging itself will be reused by the consumer.
Types of reusable packaging
- Coffee tins made of metal
- Jars made of glass
- Bags made of cloth
- Plastic containers
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Kraft Coffee Bags
Kraft paper bags are one of the most widely used coffee packaging types. These bags are made out of wood chips, which are mechanically separated so that the fibers can be used to produce paper. This is done by removing lignins from the wood and keeping the fibers intact. These natural fibers give kraft bags their strength.
Typically, these bags are laminated with plastic or foil, as kraft paper alone is porous. You can keep coffee within an unlaminated bag for a short time, but it is not ideal for long periods of time because oxygen gets into the bag and causes deficiencies in freshness.
Kraft coffee bags are a popular choice because they are strong and durable. The strong fibers make the kraft material resistant to tearing. The natural look of kraft paper makes it a popular choice for artisan cafes and brands, as well as eco-conscious brands.
Kraft Bags and Pouches
Kraft paper coffee bags with an inner lining made of plastic or foil and a resealable closing can be reused 2-5 times. They can be reused to store dry goods, including coffee beans. However, they can’t be reused indefinitely as they can wear out, and contamination issues can occur. Examples of these include stand-up pouches and zipper kraft paper coffee bags.
Refillable Programs
Kraft paper bags can be used in refillable programs, and you can design that program in one of two ways.
Option 1
Sell your coffee in a refillable container, like a glass jar or plastic container, and then sell subsequent refills in a kraft paper bag, which is filled from your in-store dispensary.
Option 2
Sell your coffee in kraft paper coffee packaging that is labeled to inform the customer that they need to transfer the coffee into a storage container when they take the beans home.
The second option is definitely a more cost-effective option for coffee bean sellers, but the first option is good from a marketing standpoint. That’s because the reusable container you send the coffee home with will continue to market for you as it sits in your customer’s kitchen. The customer will be reminded of where they purchased the coffee each time they take out the container to grind the coffee beans.
Benefits and Considerations
- Affordable
- Lined versions can be reused 2-5 times
- Unlined versions must be combined with a program
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Metal Tin Coffee Packaging
They look modern and trendy; metal tin coffee packaging can be reused in a variety of ways, from storage to decorative elements. Coffee tins are typically made of thin steel with a layer of tin to prevent rusting.
Good quality metal tins protect coffee beans from oxidation when they are sealed, but once they are opened, that protection can wane somewhat. Their rigidity does make them a very durable option, but if you are buying small quantities of tins, they can be one of the costlier packaging choices.
Benefits and Considerations
- Durable
- Looks modern
- Reusable for a variety of uses
- Can be expensive per unit for small quantities
Glass Coffee Jars
There is just something about things packaged in glass jars that makes them feel more appealing, and it also allows the seller to charge more for that product. If you are a small batch coffee roaster, you might want to think about using glass jars in your business for a very unique look and experience. Glass jars are a great refillable option.
The only limitation can be that they are an expensive option to employ at large scale unless you plan to pass the cost on to your customers. In some cases, customers are quite willing to pay a little more for a sustainable packaging option. In addition, they aren’t just paying for the coffee beans, but also for a glass jar that they can use again for a wide variety of uses.
A big advantage with a glass jar is that not only do you provide a sustainable option, but you also brand yourself as a premium coffee bean provider that is also eco-conscious.
Benefits and Considerations
- Premium packaging solution
- Potentially cost-prohibitive
- Heavy for shipping and transport
Bring-Your-Own-Container Reusable Coffee Packaging
You can create a refillable program by way of allowing your customers to bring in their own refillable jars or containers. This is a popular choice for no-waster cafes and coffee bean roasters. If you choose to go this route, you eliminate your packaging costs while also providing a sustainable packaging solution.
The downside of this solution is that you will miss out on walk-in customers who have not brought their own containers. But on the other side, you do end up forming stronger relationships with the customers who bring in their containers to refill
There are two ways you can implement this practice. One of the ways is to refill the containers yourself. The second way to do it is to create a self-dispensing system where your customers can dispense and weigh the beans themselves. With the second option, you need to maintain strict hygiene standards, which can require an extra employee.
Benefits and considerations
- Cost-effective
- Customers without containers cannot buy
- Requires a weighing system
- Hygiene considerations
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Deposit Reusable Coffee Packaging System
While you may have seen this approach with bottles and cans, it is less common in coffee; however, it is becoming more popular in food packaging as a whole. You can provide a branded refillable container to your customers when they purchase coffee beans and add a deposit cost to the bill. They can either return the container for the deposit or exchange the container for a filled one the next time they come in.
For you as a coffee bean seller, this is a cost-effective option, as the customer will pay for the cost of the packaging. And it also allows you to provide a refillable coffee packaging solution that the customer is then responsible for implementing. This way, even new customers who walk in can still purchase coffee, and if someone forgets their container, they can purchase coffee and bring both of their containers back the next time.
Benefits and considerations
- Cost-effective
- A deposit may discourage certain customers.
- Must ensure packaging is worth the deposit
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Tissue Paper Coffee Bags
Tissue paper coffee bags are lightweight and have a unique look in the world of coffee packaging. The tissue is made from wood pulp, which makes it a sustainable packaging type.
The tissue material is quite light, which means air and moisture can get in. In order to prevent that from happening, tissue bags are lined with foil or plastic. Plain, unlined tissue paper coffee bags are a good choice if you are employing a refill program.
Option 1
Provide a branded refillable coffee bean packaging option, which ucstomrs can then refill with coffee beans purchased in tissue paper packaging.
Option 2
Sell all of your coffee beans in tissue paper coffee bags. However, make sure the customer knows that the beans must be transferred to an airtight container when they take the bag home. You can do that by printing instructions right onto your tissue paper packaging, or use a printed tag to disseminate the information.
Option 3
You can set up a dispensing system and allow your customers to fill their own coffee bean bags and weigh them. This provides you with a unique opportunity to give your customers an experience alongside purchasing their coffee beans.
Both of these options allow you to give a sustainable packaging option to your customers. And with that, you can still provide a branded packaging choice that they can transfer their coffee beans home in.
Cloth Coffee Bags
Cloth coffee bags are typically made from cotton, linen, or canvas. They are a good reusable option because the customer can use them for any number of things once the beans are finished. They come with a drawstring closure, typically, and are a good option for small quantity purchases, as the coffee beans will not stay fresh for long periods of time if stored in a cloth bag.
Benefits and Considerations
- A truly reusable option
- Not airtight
- Better for a small quantity of coffee beans
- Can be used for refill stations
Silicone Coffee Bags
These reusable coffee bean bags are made out of a food-grade silicone or plastic and can be reused at least 50 times. They can be a costlier option, which is likely why you don’t see them used as often as other coffee packaging types.
Benefits and Considerations
- Reusable 50 times or more
- Costlier than some other options
- Customers are not used to this type of coffee packaging
How to Maintain Freshness for Reusable Coffee Bean Packaging
Standard coffee bean packaging is designed to maintain freshness thanks to special barriers inside coffee bags as well as a strong exterior material. They also come with degassing valves, which eliminate the carbon dioxide build-up that occurs when you package freshly roasted beans. When it comes to reusable coffee bean packaging, you have to approach it a little differently.
You need to provide your customers with recommendations on how to keep their coffee beans fresh in their reusable packaging. You can do this with signage in-store, printed tags or labels to be attached to packaging, or printed directly onto the packaging.
Ways to maintain freshness:
- Store in a cool, dry place
- Use opaque containers to block light.
- Utilize airtight containers to prevent oxygen from getting in.
- Air the container once a day for 3-5 days to remove carbon dioxide build-up.
How to Introduce Reusable Coffee Bean Packaging to Your Business
Introducing coffee bean packaging into your business doesn’t have to happen all in one go. You can phase it in dependent on the type of reusable packaging solution you decide to use. Implementing a bring-you-own-container solution can happen quickly, while switching out non-reusable packaging for reusable containers and jars can take a bit longer. You also have to get your customers used to the new format and potentially increased costs.
In order to make the transition easier, it might be a good idea to keep one-use packaging like recyclable coffee bags as an option for several months after you introduce your reusable solution. This will let your customers get used to the new idea and will not put pressure on you and your staff as you transition.
Ways to make the transition easier
- Introduce in phases
- Test out several solutions to see what works.
- Use traditional and reusable packaging in tandem for a period.
There are many options for you if you are looking to introduce reuseable coffee packaging to your business. Our specialists are happy to assist if you have a question about coffee bag types, customization, order quantities, or anything else.
FAQ
What are the disadvantages of reusable packaging?
There is the potential for bacterial build-up if the packaging is not cleaned and dried properly between each use. Additionally, freshness may be compromised if reusable packaging is not correctly used, such as if coffee beans packaged in a glass jar are not stored in a cool, dry place away from light. Customers may also find it inconvenient to have to bring in a reusable container to be refilled rather than simply purchasing a one-use package.
How many times can reusable coffee bags actually be reused?
That depends on the type of reusable coffee bag, but kraft paper coffee bags can typically be reused 2-5 times, while silicone coffee bags can be reused over 50 times. Bags made out of cloth can be reused an infinite number of times as long as they are washed between uses.
Are reusable coffee bags better than compostable coffee packaging?
Reusable coffee bags and compostable coffee packaging both provide a sustainable coffee packaging solution. The difference is that reusable packaging can have limits as to how many times the bags can be reused, and so have to eventually end up in landfills if they are not made out of an all-natural material. Compostable packaging, on the other hand, goes right back into the earth; however, there can be a shorter shelf life for coffee packaged in compostable packaging.
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