HOMEcap

The whole capsule is OK-Compost-HOME certified by TÜV Austria. This means that the raw material decomposes at much lower temperatures, around 20-30°C, which is similar to what you'd find in garden soil or garden composters. Even in the winter, there's still a lot of decomposition. This puts us ahead of our competitors, as most other "bio-capsules" on the market only have the OK-Compost-Industrial certificate. This means that the raw material doesn't decompose at all under natural conditions, but requires artificial temperatures of over 50°C.

The HOMEcap barrier consists of a bio-PBS combined with mineral fillers and additives, i.e. a granulate from our GC green series.

Bio-PBS is a starch-based bioplastic. Using this bioplastic means we can save up to 70% of fossil resources compared to the production of conventional, non-bio-based plastics. Our goal is to increase this proportion to 100% over the next few years.

Maize plants are used to make organic PBS, and the starch (sugar polymer) is a key ingredient. There's a lot of sugar here, so it makes sense to use it as a raw material. We don't have a conflict of interest with the food industry, but we're pursuing a holistic approach. The valuable proteins from the plants are used as animal feed, for example, while the starch is used for organic PBS.

Fossil raw materials (like crude oil) are in short supply. They'll run out in the near future. Plus, a lot of climate-damaging CO2 is released as soon as fossil materials are used. The HOMEcap barrier is made from a material that contains over 70% natural resources, and we're working on increasing this proportion further.

Absolutely not! This would also have stopped us getting the OK-Compost-HOME certification because PLA is still only industrially compostable. This means that at least 50°C over a period of several weeks is needed for composting. However, these temperatures don't occur in the soil or composter. There's a very high risk that PLA will just "decompose" and not be metabolised.

Yes, the coffee capsule does break down in real conditions, for example in home compost or in the soil. You don't need to heat it up too much for it to break down. Our capsule just needs moisture, oxygen and the microorganisms present in the soil for composting.

In Germany, the local waste disposal authorities have so far refused to dispose of biodegradable coffee capsules in the organic waste bin. The biowaste treatment plants haven't been designed for co-treatment yet, so unfortunately, we're also affected. In Germany, coffee capsules must be disposed of with the residual waste if you don't want to or can't put them in the household compost. As most of Germany's residual waste is used to generate energy, recycling it saves fossil fuels. During incineration, CO2-neutral energy is generated, for which a climate credit can be generated.

Golden Compound is in close contact with various local authorities, waste disposal companies and federal politicians. Our goal is to get certified home-compostable coffee capsules officially approved for disposal in the organic waste bin. We'll keep our customers up to date with the latest!

Absolutely not! The capsules don't contribute to more microplastics in the environment. The coffee capsule decomposes at different rates depending on the soil conditions (according to the standard of 90% within 6 months). As it disintegrates, ever smaller fragments of the capsule are produced, which continue to degrade. Microplastics can stay in the soil for centuries, but these capsule particles are completely degraded after a few years and are no longer detectable.

Just to be clear, the coffee capsule and the sealing film don't contain any allergens that need to be labelled in line with Annex II of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011, or any traces of them.