Managing coffee supply chain sustainability

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How Syntegon ensures its customers are regulation ready with its sustainable packaging portfolio and tailored solutions.

Every layer of coffee packaging serves a purpose. Usually, there’s an inner layer for strength and sealing, an aluminium layer or barrier layer to shield the coffee from external elements, and an outer layer to enhance the product’s premium appeal as well as an additional degassing valve to preserve freshness.

With the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) set to be enforced by 2030, and consumers increasingly looking for eco-friendly alternatives, each of these layers and all elements of the packaging together must meet recycling standards. Given that each component is made from different materials for specific functions, how can roasters ensure their packaging complies with PPWR requirements?

The team at Syntegon are helping companies navigate these complexities with their packaging laboratory, expert consulting services, and industry foresight, ensuring customers are not facing these challenges alone.

Backed by its sustainability regulation-ready packaging solution portfolio – ranging from packaging materials to line machines – one of the company’s standout features is its tailored consultancy.

However, its core strength according to Ellen Reichmann, Syntegon Group Leader of Application Engineering, is its ability to remain ahead of the regulatory curve, which helps ease customers into future sustainability frameworks.

“When we first started work on this in 2020, we expected the regulations to be in place by 2025. Now, five years later, we’ve made a lot of progress,” says Reichmann.

As an example of this progress, Syntegon has assisted the German roaster NewCoffee in transitioning to the Package Maker PMX, a new machine capable of handling both conventional and mono-materials. The roaster made the proactive decision to switch before the legal requirements were fully defined.

“It turned out to be the right decision, as the roaster is now one of the first to adopt this technology and is already in production. The successful transition shows the move to these materials is not only possible but also advantageous,” says Reichmann.

As the industry prepares to transition to a new sustainability framework, she highlights the importance of selecting the right mono-materials and understanding how they differ from current standard materials. Syntegon’s consultancy services are available to modify solutions and guide companies through this process.

The advantages of mono-materials lie in recyclability and sustainability, but not necessarily in the processing of the materials or improving their properties. When it comes to barrier properties, Reichmann says materials with an aluminium layer currently provide the best protection.

“At the moment, there is no recyclable material with comparable barrier strength. However, there are other materials that still offer adequate protection for coffee, ensuring a shelf life of about one to one and a half years, with some providing up to two years,” says Reichmann.

She explains that current standard materials, such as aluminium laminate as well as those containing polyester layers, are not recyclable. In contrast, newer recyclable materials are emerging such as mixed polyolefin, which is in its commercial production phase.

“Even better are mono PP (polypropylene) or mono PE (polyethylene) structures, as these are almost entirely made from the same material,” she says.

When comparing mono-material bags to traditional ones, they tend to be softer and less stiff than those made with PET-aluminium structures. While the sealing might be good, Reichmann explains the reduced stiffness can make them harder to process on the production line, as the bags can fall from the edges or struggle to maintain their shape.

“The mechanical resistance is not as strong as with PET-aluminium structures, making them also more challenging to convert during printing and laminating processes. This is because, with less stiffness, there is more elongation during production,” she says.

Although these mono-material bags offer less barrier protection, they are recyclable, which is a significant decisive factor for consumers as the industry shifts to eco-friendly solutions.

“It’s not just about complying with legal requirements – the market is also driven by consumer preferences,” says Reichmann.

To assist with legal requirements and production efficiency, Syntegon has a dedicated packaging lab where the team of packaging engineers can test materials independently of the manufacturers.

“This allows us to test before full-scale production begins, saving our customers time and effort while ensuring product safety. This is something that adds significant value to the process,” says Reichmann.

During the implementation process, the lab first tests materials using Syntegon’s packaging machine technologies, then move to full-scale production on the packaging line. This process involves collaboration between brand owners, film suppliers, and Syntegon as the machine supplier.

Reichmann explains that film suppliers may ask the team to test material suitability, for which they use lab tests and a small packaging line to provide early insights. This helps improve materials before presenting them to the customer and avoiding costly production interruptions.

She also highlights how Syntegon is continually improving critical interaction points between the coffee packaging machine and the packaging material, which are a key focus for optimisation.

“In our machines, we’ve also made adjustments to improve the process. We guide the material more effectively before feeding it into our vacuum lines. We use spreaders to open the bags and employ guidance reels to ensure the seams are fixed to the bottom when the material is still warm after sealing,” she says.

“And by cooling it down with the guidance reel, we ensure the material stays in place. Without this guidance, the material could slip back, which would lead to misalignment and other issues.”

While certain aspects of the machine cannot be altered, understanding the material’s value limits helps anticipate its behaviour when fed into the machine.

In response to these insights, Syntegon is aware of common technical difficulties and proactively develops solutions to address them.

“Sealing is critical, as it’s essential to ensure the bag is tight and properly protects the coffee,” says Reichmann.

“New materials are sensitive to heat, and since they often have layers made from the same base material, their melting points are very close to each other. When sealing, there needs to be a temperature difference between the outside and inside of the bag, as heat is transferred from the outside to the inside.

“Sealing times can also be optimised using both mechanical adjustments and software – the latter can be used to track and better control the temperature.”

She believes that smart machines with data monitoring functions can be helpful in detecting issues early on. Ideally, machines could be self-regulating, meaning they could recognise changes in sealing temperatures and adjust accordingly.

“If the machine detects an issue with the sealing temperature, it could automatically lower the temperature a few degrees to stabilise the system. This is important because maintaining the correct temperature in the sealing tools is affected by factors like the room temperature or machine speed,” says Reichmann.

Yet, perhaps the most crucial part of the process is ensuring the end consumer is properly educated.

“We can use smart features for consumer education. By labelling the packaging or including a QR code, consumers can easily access information about how to dispose of or recycle the material properly,” she says.

“When consumers know whether a bag is paper, plastic, or something else and how to recycle it properly, they are more likely to follow the correct recycling procedures. Clear instructions make it easier for everyone involved.

For more information, visit syntegon.com

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