Austrian packaging group Alpla (Hard; www.alpla.com) has established a new brand “Blue Circle Packaging” for its biodegradable products. The first item available is a home-compostable coffee capsule, which is produced by injection moulding and is characterised by its technical and aroma preserving properties, said Alpla.

“We see the establishment of our own label, which includes all of our products made from biodegradable materials, as a clear commitment to our activities in this future market. They are a recyclable addition to our existing packaging solutions,” said Nicolas Lehner, Alpla’s chief commercial officer and responsible for global sales.

The capsules are suitable for disposal in home compost as well as in organic waste bins (for industrial composting) and are certified as such by Germany’s TÜV (www.tuv.com).

In 2018, Alpla, in partnership with German compounder Golden Compound (Ladbergen; www.golden-compound.com), developed its “Golden Compound Green” biodegradable coffee capsule that consumers could dispose of in composting waste (see Plasteurope.com of 14.11.2018).