Compostable coffee balls could overtake traditional pods

Swiss retailer Migros has developed CoffeeB, which are compostable coffee balls that kind of look like chocolate truffles. They fit into a special machine that grinds and filters them directly rather than puncturing through a casing.

Unlike traditional pods – whether made from aluminium, plastic, or compostable materials – the coffee is compressed and covered in a thin film made from algae that holds it together. The film is safe to consume, completely tasteless, and has the coffee blend and roast type laser etched on.

I suppose the only catch is that consumers will need to purchase CoffeeB’s special countertop globe machine in order to get on the biodegradable coffee ball hype.

After being dispensed inside the machine, water runs over the coffee ball and softens the contents. The machine’s needles then pierce the outer casing, fill it with hot water, and the ball is crushed completely before it is brewed.

The machine itself has been created with recycled materials and is entirely modular, making the repair or replacement of individual parts easy. It also sits below the price point of the long-reigning Nespresso machine at $172.

Coffee B wants consumers to know that all eight blends in its coffee ball selection are made from beans that are certified organic and free-trade. A pack of nine goes for $4.60 – that’s about half of what a single coffee costs at Starbucks in the US.

Making coffee at home not only saves us money but saves the planet too. And in the current climate (economic and environmental) it’s hard to argue with a solution that offers to ease pressure on both.

Only launching on Tuesday, the compostable coffee ball and accompanying machine have already boomed within the Swiss and French markets. According to the company’s chief executive Farice Zumbrunnen, other countries are showing ‘huge interest’ in the product.

So will this innovation change the world of coffee, as many market-watchers are predicting? Well, getting the word out about how this technology compares to what’s already available will certainly encourage people to make the switch.

Compostable coffee pods have already graced the market, with brands like Grind offering British consumers products that biodegrade at home in up to 26 weeks. But CoffeeB’s invention is believed to be the first to fully biodegrade in as little as 4 weeks, thanks to a lack of outer casings.

Consider that 63 billion coffee capsules are sold globally every year. If everyone using at-home or in-office pods swapped them for eco-friendly pods, 100,000 tons of waste would be eliminated annually.

Whether it’s biodegradable pods or algae-covered coffee balls, both are commendable advancements in a once highly wasteful sector, and these developments are thanks to the growing demand for ethical products from environmentally conscious consumers.

Though we could continue with the status quo of recycling aluminium pods, why not eliminate the need for them completely? This new technology illustrates how – for many of our relentless eco-issues – the solution is already clear and with just a little more pressure from consumers, they can become a reality.