Coles now has a ‘game-changing’ coffee pod

The supermarket giant has become the first major retailer to make the move — assuring shoppers will not notice a difference in taste.

Australians’ coffee habits have changed over the past two years, with a surge in sales for at-home coffee options spurred along by pandemic restrictions and lockdowns.

For supermarket giant Coles, it saw a 30 per cent spike in coffee pod sales and a 20 per cent rise in sachet coffee as the nation battled Covid-19.

And because of this, it decided to release its own-brand compostable coffee pod — making it the first major Aussie retailer to do so.

“We know how much Australians love drinking quality coffee and the pandemic really has changed the way we drink our coffee,” Coles general manager of grocery, Leanne White told news.com.au.

Coles has launched home compostable coffee capsules – a first for a major Australian retailer. Picture: Coles

“More people are reaching for convenient, cafe-style coffee at home as flexible working becomes the norm. With coffee pods becoming so much more popular, we wanted to develop an option for eco-conscious customers to dispose of their pods at home, instead of in their landfill bin.”

The new Coles Urban Coffee Culture Organic home compostable pods are made with bio-sourced cellulose and vegetable oils — and break down in about the same amount of time as an orange peel.

“We are always looking for ways to reduce problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic from Coles Own Brand products, and offering a home compostable coffee pods option is one way of doing it,” Ms White continued.

It’s made with bio-sourced cellulose and vegetable oils and can be disposed of in home compost bins, where they break down in about the same amount of time as an orange peel. Picture: Coles

She described it as a “game-changer” for at-home coffee experiences and for those worried about whether taste would be compromised, Ms White said it still had the “same great taste ... but now with the added bonus of being compostable at home”.

“We know that very few councils accept compostable packaging in their council food and

organics waste bin, which is why we have worked with our suppliers to find a coffee pod solution which customers can compost at home,” she said.

The new pods comes as the pandemic sparked a major shift in coffee-drinking habits, with more people opting for convenience while working from home. Picture: Coles

“Composting at home is also a great way for our customers to reduce the amount of food waste going into landfill,” she added.

Meanwhile, Melbourne-based coffee company Grinders also recently introduced compostable coffee capsules to its popular range.

Each of the coffee capsules is made from bio-based, compostable resin and is compatible with all ‘original’ Nespresso coffee capsule machines.

The new Coles pods will mark the first time a major Aussie retailer will produce a pod which customers can simply throw in their home compost bin.

“We are sure customers will love the new home compostable coffee pods,” Leanne said.

Coles has a goal to have all its Own Brand product packaging 100 per cent recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

The pods, which can be used in machines designed for Nespresso-style coffee pods, have been

certified by the Australasian Bioplastics Association and will be available in Coles supermarkets from April 4, for $4.50 for a pack of 10.