Paul and Janelle Amos have created a first for lovers of high quality coffee who are conscious of the environment, introducing a compostable, biodegradable capsule option.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY
ALICIA LÜDI-SCHUTZ
With growing concerns over the impact plastic coffee capsules have on the environment, Barossa Coffee Roasters have stepped up to create a shopping-shelf first.
Janelle and Paul Amos have introduced compostable biodegradable capsules to their high-grade coffee range, the first of their kind available at local supermarkets.
“We really wanted to create a capsule that isn’t like anything else on the shelf,” Janelle said of the two caffeinated and one decaf products available at Co-op Fresh Foodland and Tanunda Foodland from today.
“First of all it had to be compostable and not just biodegradable, there’s a significant difference. Secondly we wanted to make sure, like with our coffee, it was a beautiful, high grade, traceable coffee option.”
Janelle said it was always going to be a challenge to find a solution to the environmental problem posed by the popularity of pod coffee and with their mind set of “building bridges rather than throwing stones,” she said telling customers to “buy a coffee plunger” was no longer an option.
The capsule also had to “tick all the boxes” when it came to the couple’s core business philosophy of “people and planet friendly”.
“You can just put them into your council green waste bin and it will end up in commercial compost, just like the compostable bags that our coffee beans come in.” – Janelle Amos
Janelle recalls how the very week they decided to retire from the Barossa Farmer’s Market back in 2016, an Australian company announced they could produce compostable biodegradable capsules.
“We thought is that a sign? The timing was incredible!
“So, the last 18 months has been about trial after trial and getting our heads around if it really is helping. We checked into all the environmental credentials because we had to feel 100 percent comfortable.
Made from a patented plant based composite, the capsules have all the credentials to ensure no toxic residues are left behind in the soil when it biologically degrades with other organic waste, leaving only nutrients behind.
“You can just put them into your council green waste bin and it will end up in commercial compost, just like the compostable bags that our coffee beans come in,” Janelle said.
Having just celebrated their eighth birthday as a commercial business, Barossa Coffee Roasters can now say they have created an environmentally friendly, flavourful, quality cuppa they themselves would enjoy, with the added convenience of being in a capsule.
“With choice and convenience, comes great responsibility, and we see this product as a solid bridge for capsule drinkers who feel the pang of guilt every time they make a coffee”.
Janelle always believed a bigger company would be the first to deliver a solution to the coffee capsule issue, but is proud that a boutique Barossa business is leading the way.
“I think just that name, Barossa, gives you a sense of confidence and support to give new ideas a go. Having ‘Barossa’ as part of our name is not something we take lightly. We ensure our brand reflects the esteem of the Barossa brand, our fresh bean product does, so our capsule product was always going to as
well”.
