Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/641418
STiR tea & coffee industry international 35 The second strategy involves packaging optimization. The packaging is designed to protect the product so it's important not to reduce package to the point that dam- age occurs or the shelf life of the product is compromised. Optimization can include changes in shapes and sizes as well as "light weighting" and designing for recovery. The third area focuses on recovery. Can the package be recovered? What are the key considerations to help with recyclability and recovery? What are the options? This can include using a single resin instead of a multilayer, or selecting a polymer that has a viable market. Avoid mixing materials, consider making all the components out of a single material. In all cases the total system has to be considered. The packaging in- cludes the coffee pods, and outer wraps, pouches, and boxes. Two strategies are emerging for single serve coffee pods: recycling and composting. The EPA found reducing food waste in landfills represents a significant opportu- nity to lower our environmental footprint. Food in landfills produce methane gas, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Keeping pods and coffee out of landfill is a significant opportunity. Recyclability The road to recyclability entails five steps. The first is design for recyclability. Packaging needs to be designed so that the coffee and the pod can be separated. Many current pods are made of multilayer materials that do not have value in the recycling stream and can be considered contaminants stream. Pods are often sealed with metal lids that interfere with recovery. Design consider- ations need to include lid and coffee removal. A single resin is best for recovery, and polypropylene is currently the resin with the highest market value that also has the performance properties that will allow it to work in this application. The second step is recycling access. Consumers need to have access to recycling specific types of materials for the materials to be considered recyclable. Consumer access is growing for plastic cups and containers but more communities need to be en-