Grinders takeaway cups now certified for home composting

Australian roaster Grinders Coffee has announced its takeaway cups have received certification for home composting.

Initially certified for industrial composting, the Grinders Aqueous Coffee Cups underwent thorough testing and approval by the Australasian Bioplastics Association to receive the home composting certification.

The Aqueous Cups, released in 2023, feature a unique, water-based barrier coating that allows the cup to maintain its shape when holding liquid, eliminating the need for a separate polyethylene (PE) plastic lining.

The certification means that under specific conditions, the cups can disintegrate and biodegrade into carbon dioxide, water and biomass within 12 months at 25^oC +/- 5^oC leaving no harmful residue and reducing the levels of waste in landfill.

“We are proud to be one of the first commercial roasters in Australia to launch these innovative cups nationally,” says Burcu De La Cruz, Marketing Manager for Grinders Coffee.

“Businesses who use Grinders Coffee beans can now provide a certified compostable solution to takeaway coffee cups, a packaging type that has historically contained plastic.”

The cups are paired with Grinders Pulp Lids, made from sugarcane pulp (also known as ‘Bagasse’), a plant-based, renewable alternative to the standard plastic lid.

“Brewing a greener future with Grinders Coffee is one of our most important business pillars. From innovative packaging to supporting ethical farming, Grinders is dedicated to ensuring a better future for both coffee lovers and the planet,” says Burcu.

Grinders Coffee’s series of sustainability commitments also include achieving 100 per cent recyclable packaging by 2025, reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, ensuring 100 per cent of green beans are ethically certified by 2030, and transitioning to compostable cups and lids.

The roaster is also committed to turning coffee waste into resources. Through Grinders Coffee’s partnership with Reground, it has kept over 16 tons of coffee grounds out of landfill, using it as compost in community gardens and at the Melbourne Zoo. This initiative is said to have reduced more than three tons of greenhouse gases.

Additionally, Grinders Coffee supports single-origin growing communities such as female coffee producers in Honduras, where the company has helped them build a micro-roastery and ensure sustainable farming practices.