The word sustainability is used a lot these days, it’s a new buzz word. Yet few of us know the actual meaning of the word.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their individual needs. In addition to natural resources, we also need social and economic resources. Sustainability is not just environmental -ism.

We humans are the only creatures on this planet that creates waste. In nature, one creatures waste is another creatures food source.  We seem satisfied with creating waste, that ubiquitous wheelie bin that takes our troubles away.  The truth is our landfills are not sustainable and will not meet the needs for future generations if we continue to follow the same wastage pattern.  We often accept things for the way they are without looking for more sustainable options.

When writing this article, I sat down with my cup of coffee and started thinking about what to write about and there it was right in front of me.  My coffee!  I do enjoy a good coffee in the mornings.

It is estimated over 2.25 BILLION cups of coffee are consumed in the world daily.  It’s the second biggest traded commodity next to oil. Over 90 percent of coffee production takes place in developing countries, whilst consumption happens primarily in industrialised economies. This is not sustainable for both our social and economic resources.

Coffee bags are seldom recycled as it is a multi-layer plastic?.  So, if we do the maths, that means you can expect to get around 71 cups of coffee out of a 500g bag of roasted coffee beans. Of course, this is based on a standard, single shot of coffee. This means around 30 million x 500g bags a day are being used!  Our favourite brand in the office measures 260mm, if we placed them end to end that is enough to circle the Earth 71 times each year.

But What are the solutions???

Bio Pouch™ , a high barrier paper that is not only plastic free and compostable but is also fully recyclable in the normal paper stream.  It is manufactured with sustainably sourced FSC paper that is suitable for direct food contact as it has aroma and grease barriers.

It also makes financial sense to switch.  More and more consumers, especially Gen Z consumers under 24, are vocal about only wanting to spend their money on brands and products that align with their personal and political values. And what is one of the most important causes to current digital consumers? The planet itself!

The SA Plastics Pact target is to have 100% of packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.  Bio Pouch™ is a top contender as it provides a solution for several products such as coffee, tea and nuts and many more.