(Photo: Delica AG)

SABIC announced that Delica AG is introducing a new range of more sustainable coffee capsules based on Sabic’s certified renewable polymers for use in its proprietary Delizio capsule machines. The company will be using certified renewable polypropylene (PP) resins in the coffee capsules. The bio-feedstock based “second generation” materials are part of SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio of circular products and services. The new capsules were introduced in the market in April 2021 and replace fossil-based virgin PP.

The certified renewable PP materials are supplied to ALMA Packaging for conversion into a plastic film from which the capsules are thermoformed. Delica fills and closes the capsules, which are then sold to consumers through its parent company, Migros, Switzerland's largest retail and supermarket chain. The renewable PP materials are produced from tall oil, an animal-free and palm oil-free feedstock which is not in direct competition with human food production sources. The tall oil is a waste product from the wood pulping process in the paper industry. The PP resins offer the same high quality and purity as virgin PP made from fossil fuel, according to the statement.

“A life cycle study conducted by Carbotech has shown that we can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of our Delizio capsules by replacing our former fossil-based main component with a renewable polypropylene material based on tall oil,” said Ralf van den Bragt, Head of Business Unit Coffee at Delica AG. “With a certified renewable content of at least 65 percent, the environmental impact is reduced by approx. 40 percent per capsule.”

“Our bio PP films with SABIC’s renewable polymers provide the same convenient processing properties as conventional PP films while leading to plastic packaging solutions with high CO₂ savings,” stated Philipp Broch, Managing Director at ALMA Packaging AG. “They can be made with plastic based on renewable feedstock of up to 95 percent, as specified by the customer and certified by mass balance accounting.”

“Fossil depletion and waste are among the biggest challenges on our planet and require a fundamental transformation of the value chain in the plastics economy,” said Abdullah Al-Otaibi, General Manager of Engineering Thermoplastics & Market Solutions for Petrochemicals at SABIC. “Our vision is that plastics should be sustainably sourced and must never end up in the environment. With our TRUCIRCLE initiative, we have positioned ourselves at the forefront of this quest and are helping converters, designers, and brand owners to collaborate and gain a sustainable edge by using high-quality recycled, circular or renewable polymer materials.”