Why We’ve Changed Our Packaging at York Emporium
At York Emporium, we’ve always believed that great coffee is a marvellous blend of science, soul, and a smidgeon of eccentricity. And while taste is key, there’s a whole journey behind each glorious cup, and we’re giving part of that journey a bit of a makeover.
We’ve changed our packaging. It represents something we hold rather dear: thoughtfulness, transparency, and doing the right thing for sustainability.
Why the Change? (Or: When Cardboard Met Conscience)
We’ve always prided ourselves on doing things properly, sourcing with care, roasting with joyful precision, and delivering coffee that would make even a foggy Tuesday feel like a festival. But as we peer bravely into the future, we realised our packaging needed a jolly good rethink.
Coffee packaging is famously tricky. It must protect against oxygen, moisture, light, and possibly bad vibes. But the very things that keep your beans fresh often consign the packaging to landfill. We thought surely, we can do better.
And so, like a determined squirrel in pursuit of a hazelnut, we did just that.
1. Bye-Bye Seals, Hello Recyclability!
Yes, we’ve bidden farewell to the little plastic seals at the top of our bags. Convenient, but bad for the environment. Those minuscule plastic seals stopped the entire bag from being recycled.
Now, with a little label-peel and a gentle flatten, our bags can take a dignified trip to your household recycling bin. Simply pop the label in the general waste, and voilà! The rest lives to be repurposed.
A Home for Your Beans: Airscape Canisters
Naturally, this has prompted the excellent question: “But how do I keep my coffee fresh now?” Enter stage left: the mighty Airscape canister, a rather clever contraption that expels oxygen and keeps your coffee snug, secure, and splendid.
Stylish, airtight, and rather good-looking on a countertop, they’re the perfect companion to our new packaging.
2. The Curious Case of Kraft Bags
Our old bags wore their brown-paper disguise rather convincingly. They looked eco-friendly, all matte and wholesome, but like a villain in a detective novel, their outward charm hid a dastardly secret: plastic-lined interiors and non-recyclable zips.
Most recycling centres viewed them with suspicion and lobbed them straight into general waste. We needed something more honest. Something truly sustainable.
And now, we’ve got it.
A Note on Labels (Small Stickers, Big Ambitions)
While our new bags are gallantly recyclable, the labels, those small but mighty rectangles, are still catching up. They aren’t quite recyclable yet. We’re trialling new options, including printing directly onto the bags (a bit like tattoos for packaging).
For now, a swift peel and pop into general waste will do the trick.
The New Bags: Recycled, Recyclable, and Really Rather Good
After much testing (and probably too much coffee), we found a solution that ticks every ethical and practical box:
- Made with recycled content
- Fully recyclable at home
- Keeps coffee fresh and flavourful
- Supports the UK’s circular economy
They protect what’s precious (your beans), reduce plastic, and are much less likely to offend the recycling gods.
Sustainability Without Compromise (Because We’re Picky)
Some might ask: “But does this affect the quality of the coffee?” Our answer is absolutely not. Our beans are still pampered, protected from air, light and moisture, and roasted to glorious perfection.
The only thing that’s changed is that once you’ve brewed, sipped, and sighed contentedly, the bag can go on to live another life. Probably not as glamorous, but certainly more useful.
This Is Just the Beginning
This isn’t the end of our sustainable adventures; it’s merely the first chapter. From packaging to sourcing, we’re always looking for ways to do better. Because coffee should taste good and do good, too.
Thanks for Supporting the Change
We’re endlessly grateful to you, our lovely customers, for coming along on this journey with us. With every cup you brew, you’re part of something bigger: a shift towards better, kinder coffee. And we think that’s rather splendid.
Got thoughts, questions, or simply fancy a chinwag about sustainable packaging? Pop us a message or swing by the roastery and we’ll stick the kettle on.
York Emporium: The World’s Most Intriguing coffees.
