Have you had coffee today? Put a small capsule into the coffee machine, press the button, and enjoy a hot cup of fragrant coffee. Convenient, fast, and requiring no skills, the capsule coffee market is growing rapidly, but the disposal of capsules is always a pain.
Taking note of consumers' concerns about the environment, Swiss retail giant Migros will launch the world's first "capsule-free" coffee balls in 2022. Combining the three major features of flavor, convenience and zero waste, it is billed as "the greatest innovative product in history" that has "completely revolutionized the coffee industry".
Three wishes fulfilled at once
CoffeeB said it is a capsule, more like a ball. The outer shell adopts Delica's patented natural protective film, which can block oxygen and maintain the coffee flavor. There is no need to recycle the coffee balls after use, nor do they need to be professionally composted. If you throw them in your yard or flower pot, they will naturally decompose and form fertile humus in a few weeks.
The Associated Press reported that Migros explained that the raw material of the coffee ball shell is mainly seaweed, which is thin and tasteless. It can be discarded with the coffee powder after use.
Like ordinary capsule coffee, CoffeeB also requires a dedicated coffee machine. Migros said the system took five years to develop and that most of the coffee machine is made of recycled materials. The highlight is the modular design, which means it will be very convenient to replace parts.
The composition of coffee beans is naturally not sloppy either. Depending on the taste, they come from rainforest certified coffee, fair trade, or BIO organic coffee.
Do consumers pay the bill? One year after the launch of CoffeeB, "Spoon" reported that CoffeeB has entered the Swiss, French and German markets and has been adopted by more than 200,000 households. The company expects to enter the North American market but did not provide a timetable.
According to "Spoon", Keurig, a major coffee capsule manufacturer, sold nearly 3 million machines in 2021 alone. The sales volume of 200,000 units is actually not much, but it is enough to attract attention.
Capsule waste is difficult to solve and the niche market attracts attention
Capsule coffee is rising rapidly. The report points out that the global market for capsule coffee will grow from US$12.33 billion in 2022 to US$13.3 billion in 2023, with an average annual compound growth rate of 7.9%. Asia-Pacific is the largest market, followed by Western Europe.
The issue of recycling coffee capsules has been repeatedly reported in the media. According to coffee capsule recycling technology company Recycap Technologies, despite the recycling mechanism, approximately 75% capsules still end up in landfills. Nespresso responds with recyclable aluminum capsules. Official data shows that the global capsule recycling rate in 2022 will reach 32%. Keurig uses recyclable plastic to make capsules, but due to their small size, the media revealed that many areas do not actually recycle them, and the company has also faced lawsuits for misleading consumers.
References:
*CoffeeB official website
*CoffeeB (September 6, 2022), CoffeeB: Migros launches the world's first coffee capsule system without capsules
*The Spoon (September 5, 2023), CoffeeB Hits 200k Households For Coffee Ball Brewing System That Aims to Replace Capsules
*AP (September 6, 2022), Swiss retailer rolls out 'coffee balls' to replace capsules
*The Business Research Company (January 2023), Coffee Capsule Global Market Report 2023
*Globe news wire (January 2023), Coffee Capsule Global Market Report 2023
*Mongabay (December 20, 2022), Coffee capsules: Brewing up an (in)convenient storm of waste
Source: Environmental Information Center
