Share your thoughts about Kenco's Eco Refill pack here and be entered into our prize draw..

[OliviaMumsnet]

Some of you will remember that last year we ran a campaign with Kenco to send three lucky Mumsnetters to visit coffee farms in Costa Rica.

Well, Kenco were so delighted with the response that they now want to hear from Mumsnetters' about sustainability and the packaging for their instant coffee range.

Kenco has recently launched a new resealable Eco Refill pack and wants to find out what Mumsnetters think about it!

Everyone who posts their thoughts on this subject will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win £250 of vouchers for a store of their choice.

Some background and information....The Eco Refill pack has 97% less packaging weight compared to Kenco jars .

The packs themselves can be sent to Kenco free of charge for TerraCycle® recycling and for every pack returned they will donate 2p to the charity of your choice.
The Eco Refill pack is designed to replace the traditional glass jar that instant coffee comes in and the idea is you buy/ have a jar that you decant the granules into from the Eco Refill Pack.

Please add your own thoughts on this product and on sustainability and packaging for instant coffee below, but here are some questions to get you thinking!
What do you think about this?
What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
What is bad about it?
Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
What else could they do to improve the sustainability?
Do you think this is a product you would buy?
If so why? If not, why not?
Over to you......
MN Towers

[stealthsquiggle]

What do you think about this?
Definitely a move in the right direction

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?

Ease of transport, easier to recycle/dispose of waste, less likelyhood of breakage

What is bad about it?

Clearly it would be better if the packs were locally recyclable through kerbside collection but that is outside of Kenco's control.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?

Yes.

What else could they do to improve the sustainability?

A more significant cost saving would incent more people to go with the refills.

Do you think this is a product you would buy?

No

If so why? If not, why not?

..because I don't buy instant coffee (for me - coffee bean addict) and DH (who does drink instant) doesn't like Kenco - sorry!

[Blu]

What do you think about this?
Good idea - I'm surprised someone hasn't done it sooner!
What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
Less use of resources in making the glass, cheaper transport costs (lighter, less bulky), less waste in the high energy costs of transporting and melting down re-cycled glass, lighter to carry home - for people who don't drive to the shop. Can decant to another container of choice - for those with stylish kitchens who don't like coffee jars on display! And it's cheaper- and it should be easy fo customers to see what the real deal is as supermarkets have to display the 'per 100g price')
What is bad about it? Probably the plastic isn't bio-degradable?
Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
Yes. And manufacturers of other things, too. I think that beer bottles should be re-uable - not re-cyclable - by law!
What else could they do to improve the sustainability? Make the pouches bio-degradable?
Do you think this is a product you would buy? No.
If so why? If not, why not? I don't like instant coffee, and ground coffee has been sold in bags for ever!

[BettySwollux]

What do you think about this?
I think it's a great idea, I'm also surprised it hasn't been done yet.

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
Less weight in shopping bag, less room in recycling box, less packaging is always good.

What is bad about it?
Nothing as far as I can see.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
Yes.

What else could they do to improve the sustainability?
Is it possible to make packaging from paper/cardboard? More widely recycled (I know you can send packaging back, but realistically, how many of us are going to do that when we are all busy and have a council run kerbside recycling scheme?)

Do you think this is a product you would buy?
Definitely! Kenco is my fave coffee anyway, and if it helps the environment - so much the better.

If so why? If not, why not?

[NorbertDentressangle]

What do you think about this?
Great idea. Like others have said though, I'm surprised more companies don't do something similar for a lot of products

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
Easier to buy, transport, store at home. Not breakable. Easier to store/recycle after its empty

What is bad about it?
Not everyone will bother sending empty packs back. It would be good if it was a material we could recycle from home collections. Saving (££) could be more than it is.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
Yes and not only coffee manufacturers either

What else could they do to improve the sustainability?
Look at using a material that can be put into your average home recycling (although obviously I realise that it varies from area to area). Make sure that the production of this packaging is eco-friendly/energy efficient

Do you think this is a product you would buy?
If I needed instant coffee and this was on offer I would buy the refill pack to try.

If so why? If not, why not?
We don't normally drink Kenco and we tend to drink fresh rather than instant coffee anyway.

[ButtercupWafflehead]

What do you think about this?

Very sensible, can't think why it hasn't been done already!

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?

Great, less waste, packaging, space in the car, weight in the basket, don't have to bother taking a trip to the glass bank.

What is bad about it?

Nothing whatever

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?

All manufacturers of anything should do similar, if it's viable.

Do you think this is a product you would buy?

I would definitely choose this kind of packaging on any product if I already had the jar at home.

[Jux]

Good idea; we tend to buy 200g jars (Gold Blend) which are then very useful for other things, though. The time will come when we have so many jars being useful for other things we'll have to move house.

I suspect a lot of people will not send the packets back.

I think many manufacturers should do this (we can't get refill packs of most of our most-used herbs where we live now, and have to keep getting more glass jars). If manufacturers were to stop putting things in glass jars, you could just have a "jar station" in each town, where you could pick up empty jars, if needed, for the refills.

We wouldn't buy it as only dh drinks coffee and he loathes Kenco! We get instant for visitors, so might consider Kenco sometime.

[somewhathorrified]

Being a dedicated Kenco coffee drinker I've always found that my tiny kitchen gets inundated with their rather cumbersome empty glass jars. The kenco refill pack means that this has become one less thing to think about, I also love the fact that I don't even need to find a pair of scissors (or knife) to try and gain access to my beloved beverage, just rip and go. The only improvement I can come up with is a freepost system to return the empty packets, I know, I ask a lot, but you did ask!

[claudialyman]

What do you think about this? Great idea

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
This is much better and will help with the weight of the shopping!

What is bad about it? Would be good to see a bit more of a price difference so it really feels the main concern is protecting the environmen

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do? I think fairly traded coffee is the biggest concern and after that packaging should be next

What else could they do to improve the sustainability? nothing i can think of at the moment!

Do you think this is a product you would buy?
If so why? If not, why not? Yes, would find it much handier

[jemart]

What do you think about this?
Anything that cuts down packaging waste is a good idea

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
easier to transport, lighter, no danger of broken glass.

What is bad about it?
No significant cost saving. Glass is easy to recycle, refill pack is not, I would not be bothered to send the pack back to Kenco for recycling.

[turtle23]

What do you think about this?
Very good idea
What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
Would help a lot on my ever-bulging recycling bins
What is bad about it?
Sounds a faff to remember to post back the packaging
Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
Yes
What else could they do to improve the sustainability?
Find a way to recycle packaging at home
Do you think this is a product you would buy?
If so why? If not, why not?
If I start drinking coffee again, yes.

[MamaG]

What do you think about this? Excellent idea

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee? Great - I only ever tip the coffee out of the jar into the coffee jar anyway.

What is bad about it? Just the misleading price thing that others have highlighted.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do? Definitely

What else could they do to improve the sustainability? Nothing

Do you think this is a product you would buy? Yes, I buy Kenco anyway.

[mckenzie]

What do you think about this? Excellent idea

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee? it's a no brainer isn't it? I've already got a glass jar, I don't need another one. It's lighter in my shopping bag to get home.

What is bad about it? as long as it doesn't split and it's easy to transfer to the original bag then nothing is wrong with it.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do? probably, yes

Do you think this is a product you would buy? have done already

If so why? 'why not' i say. It makes sense to do it for the reasons mentioned above.

[MissAnneElk]

This is on offer in Morrisons at the moment - buy the glass jar and get the refill free. I've bought two lots because I drink far too much coffee .

I think it's a great idea and had a chat with the bloke on the checkout about what a good idea it is - he obviously drinks far too much coffee too.

Because it's so much lighter it will be easier and more efficient to transport it to the shops and obviously lighter for us to carry home.

The idea of returning the packaging for recycling is great in theory, but in practise I almost certainly won't. I do recycle lots but we have a kerbside collection.

[Wigeon]

What do you think about this?
Good idea. Attracted by the reduced weight and therefore presumably lower transport costs per 100g and therefore fewer damaging fuel emissions.

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
Lighter for me to carry home (I often walk home with the shopping rather than use the car). Might be easier to store at home too. Reduced weight probably more environmentally friendly (see answer above).

What is bad about it?
I'm not sure if the manufacturing process for the plastic refill pack is actually worse environmentally than manufacturing glass. And it might be better, environmentally, to recycle glass (which can be recycled indefinitely) than to recycle the plastic refill pack. Although I don't know

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
Not sure

What else could they do to improve the sustainability?
Make sure that the packaging is fully recyclable (eg compostable plastic? Reinforced paper?)

Do you think this is a product you would buy?
Yes, I might well do

If so why? If not, why not?
Because I like buying products where the packaging is minimal and recyclable. Because it's lighter than a glass jar. Because it was slightly cheaper, per 100g, than the glass jar Kenco when I looked in Sainsburys today

[snorkie]

sounds like maybe a good idea, but is recycling terra packs more ecologically sound than recycling glass? I would like to know the relative merits of each.

pros: lighter to carry home, 'feels' greener.

cons: less easy to recycle (won't go in green bin), have to remember not to throw old jar to recycling (challenging for my dh).

I can buy coffee beans from local shop in paper packet - might paper be an even greener possibility for instant coffee?

Why does it need to be resealable if you are supposed to decant it?

Other coffee manufacturers should only do it if they want to - not sure it should be mandatory, unless part of a wider edict on food packaging in general.

I might well buy it, if I liked the coffee.

[aristoBLACKcat]

what do you think?
sounds like a fantastic idea.

what do you think is good versus buying glass jars?
well, the recycling box will be much lighter

what is bad?
would need to check the cost - not worth saving only 10p as has been suggested

something all coffee manufacturers can do?
yes.

what else could they do?
seems a bit of a nuisance to return packaging, why not use packaging that can be recycled at kerbside.

do you think this is a product you would buy?
yes

if so why?
why not. all the above reasons.

[Wigeon]

Just wanted to add - I would still buy it even if the saving was only 10p (I think that's what it was in my local Sainsburys) - cheaper and (we are told) more ecological - why not?

[purpleturtle]

Just searched for a thread on this, as I've seen the packs on the supermarket shelf and wondered how recyclable they are, compared to a glass jar which is widely recycled. I am reassured to discover that the pack can be returned for recycling.

I won't be buying one anyway, as I only buy fairtrade filter coffee, but my interest was certainly hooked by the concept.

[mummyofevilprincesses]

What do you think about this?
I think it is a very good start- apart from Ecover products, refills are pretty much unheard of. A good way to sav on packaging and hopefully other companies will follow suit.

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
Less packaging = less waste. Also less for me to carry home.

What is bad about it?
All coffee should be Fair Trade.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
I think all manufacturers of any products that can use less packaging should do so.

What else could they do to improve the sustainability?
I don't know, I'm not an expert,. I just believe there is more that everybody could do- it is never enough.

Do you think this is a product you would buy?
Possibly, if the price was reasonable and the coffee Fair Trade.

If so why? If not, why not?
As above.

[Sam100]

What do you think about this? Great idea.

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?

Got to be more eco friendly - we always recycled the glass jars but must use energy etc to recycle them. Also the weight and space used by glass jars takes more of lorry costing more in transportation costs and CO2 in atmosphere. Win win.

What is bad about it?

If can't recycle the packaging the eco refill is in. Or if it affects the quality of the coffee.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?

I am sure they will all be following suit provided there are no quality issues with the coffee!

What else could they do to improve the sustainability?

Would like to be sure that they buy beans ethically by paying fair price to growers so that they are able to improve local economies.

Do you think this is a product you would
buy?

Yes - have done so already in last week's shop!

If so why? If not, why not? Already done so.

[Katz]

is this still live or has it accidentally been re-stickied?

[CrystalTits]

What do you think about this?
I think it's a great precedent to set in this sector and hope that it prompts other manufacturers to follow suit, even with other food types.

What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee?
It's small and lightweight, and I feel happier buying a returnable eco refill packet than a glass jar that could use more resources to recycle.

What is bad about it?
It's not clear whether it's actually more damaging to the environment to make the eco refill packaging compared to glass.
As an aside, I hope Kenco do fulfil their responsibility to source all their coffee beans from Rainforest Alliance certified farms 'by 2010'; at the moment they quote only 75%, but to achieve 100% only gives them about 6 weeks! TBH I'd be more swayed by 100% Fairtrade accreditation.

Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do?
If the environmental factors are favourable. And manufacturers of other products should take note too!

What else could they do to improve the sustainability?
Improve their Fairtrade/RA certification
Increase promotion of the charity donation for returned eco refill packs.

Do you think this is a product you would buy? If so why? If not, why not?
I don't have an issue with the cost, because as far as I'm aware, Kenco are marketing this product as an eco-friendly alternative as the main selling point, rather than whether it's cheaper than jars. I haven't seen anything on their site or advertising that suggests that they're marketing it as a lower cost option.
We normally use ground coffee but have instant for visitors, so I may buy an eco refill pack (definitely in preference to a glass jar) if I was convinced of its Fairtrade credentials.

By the way, my children loved the Rainforest Alliance page on the Kenco website. But perhaps they could improve the integration of the Terracycle scheme info with the Kenco site?

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

What do you think about this? Excellent
What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee? lighter cheaper to transport
What is bad about it? can't go in my recyling
Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do? yes
What else could they do to improve the sustainability? don't know
Do you think this is a product you would buy?
If so why? If not, why not?
I do buy it

[Bear]

What do you think about this? Well done, not before time - will buy it when all Kenco coffee is fairly traded.

[Wolfcub]

What do you think about this? I think it's an excellent idea
What do you think is good about this versus buying glass jars every time you buy coffee? less packaging, hopefully less energy use. Whilst glass jars can go in the recycling the lids can not so they end up in landfill. I am reassured that Kenco are recycling the refil bags.
What is bad about it? I don't think the cost saving that Kenco are (probably) making is being passed onto the customer and that smacks of profiteering
Do you think this is something all coffee manufacturers should do? absolutely
What else could they do to improve the sustainability? not sure but I would like reassurance that growers are getting a fair price
Do you think this is a product you would buy? yes, we already drink kenco coffee as this is a none-nestle household
If so why? If not, why not? see above plus buendia stopped selling in the uk