Biodegradable coffee capsules: technology and additives
Meseta Capsules System coffee capsules provide taste, aroma, quality and food safety all in one biodegradable capsule as determined by EN ISO 14855.
Biodegradation is a term used in ecology to describe the natural processes that tend to return the organic substances generated, directly or indirectly, by photosynthesis to simple inorganic substances such as water and carbon dioxide. To be more precise, biodegradation is a biochemical process of decomposition of a complex substance into more elementary chemical compounds by the action of natural agents such as bacteria and fungi. Biodegradability is a prerogative of organic matter and is vital to maintain the ecological equilibrium of our planet which thus rids itself of waste and refuse to make room for new life
For plastics and their biodegradation, scientific research over the past few years has discovered the use of a variety of substances to accelerate the process of biodegradation which would otherwise be longer than the average lifetime of a person. Biopolymers originating from renewable raw materials produced by plant (e.g. sugars) have been used or, as an alternative to these, plastic with additives.
In the Meseta coffee capsule it is the base polymer (polypropylene) of the traditional plastic structure which has been modified with the introduction of a special additive: ECM MasterBatch Pellets™. This additive, which is added in a percentage of 1% to the mix of the plastic capsule, makes the plastic cup (and its lid) containing the coffee completely biodegradable while allowing it to maintain its functional characteristics (e.g the Meseta coffee capsule has a shelf life of 18 months and during use the capsule must stand up to the passage of pressurised hot water for making the coffee). The biodegradation of the Meseta coffee capsule starts only when it has been removed from its packaging and used.
So it is true to say that Meseta coffee capsules, made from plastic containing the additive ECM MasterBatch Pellets™, are characterised by an elevated biodegradability compared to traditional plastic.
On the basis of a Test Certification issued by Istituto di Ricerca Ecologia Applicata srl (a Scientific Applied Research Organisation that has an agreement with the University of Milan), it has been established that the Meseta coffee capsule made of Polypropylene with ECM MasterBatch PelletsTM additive can be considered to conform to Directive 94/62/EC as a result of conforming to the biodegradability test according to the protocol UNI EN ISO 14855 (entitled “Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions”). In particular, from the outcome of these analyses, it was determined that the product in Polypropylene containing the ECM MasterBatch PelletsTM additive, in a quantity of 1% by weight, “achieved 13.78% of biodegradability in 60 days” and thanks to the prediction of a mathematical model, was expected “to reach 100% of biodegradability in about 839 days”.
Therefore the Meseta coffee capsules tested, although not subject to the laws governing packaging, can be considered to conform to 94/62.