Why HALŌ

 

World's Best Coffees, In a Way That's Best For The World

HALŌ exists because compromise shouldn’t. Because when given the choice between what is best for us and what is best for the world, we didn’t see a choice at all. 

HALŌ capsules are designed to provide consumers with a sustainable capsule alternative filled with specialty grade coffees of the highest quality; hence our promise to deliver the “World’s Best Coffees, In a Way That’s Best For The World.”

In 2018 alone, the coffee capsule industry produced 60 billion capsules. A considerable amount of plastic and aluminium waste adding to the billions of capsules that already exist in the world and will continue to do so for the next 500 years. 

Faced with the vast amounts of waste being produced by the capsule industry in light of a growing ecological crisis, it would have been irresponsible to sit idly by. This is why we set out to combat the wastefulness of the capsule industry and challenge conventional methods of pod production by producing a sustainable alternative. 

HALŌ classic pulp capsules address the negative environmental effects of capsule production by utilising waste sugar cane, a by-product of the sugar cane industry, to create a fully home compostable pod. With the ability to degrade in as little as 28 days in home compost conditions, HALŌ capsules provide consumers with the convenience of a pod coffee without costing the world.

Our vegetable-based alternative capsules are certified home compostable by TÜV Austria. These capsules will decompose within 6 months in a garden compost. For more information on the differences between the alternative capsule line and the classic pulp capsules, feel free to read this blog post.

Why compostable is sustainable

At Halo Coffee, we believe that home compostable materials are the most sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. Unlike industrially compostable materials, home compostable alternatives degrade quickly in naturally occurring environments without the assistance of specialised machinery and specific conditions to aid the degradation process. 

Unlike other eco capsules made from industrially compostable bioplastic, our home compostable capsules will degrade without much effort. They do not require specialised machinery to determine whether the capsules are conventional oil-based capsules or bioplastic (machinery that most waste management facilities do not have). They do not cause issues when placed in an anaerobic digestor. They do not contaminate mixed recycling streams. 

Home compostable products degrade easily regardless of where they are disposed of, such as in a garden, food bin or home compost. With home compostable products, there is no requirement for additional transport to waste management facilities or energy to power machinery, factors which increase the product’s overall carbon footprint post-use. 

HALŌ classic pulp capsules can degrade in as little as 28 days in a home compost and will break down into natural fertiliser. Our home-compost certified alternative capsules will fully break down within 6 months.
But we didn’t stop there. All of the packaging associated with HALŌ capsules are also home compostable and will degrade in a maximum of 90 days in ambient temperatures. Our capsules and packaging break down into organic components that re-enter ecological processes, supporting a circular economy. 


Why biodegradable alternatives are better than recyclable or refillable coffee pods


Our commitment to compostability has been the driving force behind our mission to rid the world of polluting plastic and aluminum capsules. Even though a large proportion of capsules can be recycled, the industry average rate of recycling is only 20%. This means 80% of capsules that are not re-captured make their way to landfills and the oceans. 

Inconvenience is the key issue behind the low rates of recycling of recyclable capsules. Capsule producers shift the onus onto the customer to ensure their capsules are responsibly disposed of rather than providing easy recycling solutions for consumers thereby creating inconvenience in recycling a product designed specifically for convenience.  

Even when they are recycled, the carbon footprint of recyclable pods can be an issue. This is because coffee capsules produced by industry leaders contain materials like silicone, plastic and aluminium. These materials require specialist facilities to remove and process each individual component. Consequently, this adds to the emission generated by transport between each plant, operational activity and further processing of pollutants released during the recycling process.  

As a growing industry, the levels of waste being created will not be brought under control unless the priorities of capsule manufacturers shift and sustainable materials become more widely utilised.