Percol Coffee compostible capsules

Percol Coffee Co has launched a range of compostable Nespresso-compatible capsules that can break down in three months.

Rolling out now in three variants - Ethiopia Espresso, Supremo Ristretto and Americano Lungo (rsp: £3/10 capsules) - the coffee is made from organic, Rainforest Alliance-certified arabica beans, while the pods are ‘100% natural’ material derived from sugar beet and sugar cane. They have attained the EU’s EN13432 standard, the strictest for evaluating biodegradability and compostability, meaning decomposition occurs with 12 weeks in optimum ground conditions for temperature, aeration and humidity. Timings for home composters will vary.

The new product took 18 months to develop, said Simon Lock, sales director at Percol Coffee. “We truly believe this is the best-tasting Nespresso-compatible product available,” he added.

It follows Dualit’s August launch of compostable Nespresso-compatible capsules. Lavazza’s own biodegradable range is yet to arrive in the UK, with the Italian brand blaming “production constraints” for the delay.

Supermarket sales of coffee pods are on course to overtake standard roast and ground coffee, after surging 29.5% to £137.5m [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 22 May 2016]. Thirty per cent of British consumers own a coffee capsule machine, up from just 22% a year ago, according to research conducted by Harris Interactive.