Biodegradable plastics now used in coffee packets

In New Zealand, Caffe Prima, a coffee roaster in Christchurch, has possibly become the first supplier of coffee packets that are totally compostable.  The company had to find a solution to a problem unique to coffee beans, which is the release of carbon dioxide gas over time, which was solved by using a vent system instead of a one way plastic valve.

The new Econic bags consist of three layers of film, with the cellulose film in the middle sprayed with an aluminum coating.  Convex Plastics supplies the bags using corn starch and wood pulp.  In tests the bags are reported to have started softening in two weeks, and described as having totally disappeared after 14 weeks, leaving only small fragments in the soil.