What will be the biggest coffee packaging design trends for 2025?

As we continue through 2025, coffee roasters around the world will understandably consider overhauling certain areas of their operations. Like any other consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand, in many cases this will include branding and design – which extends across every area, including packaging.

When addressing coffee packaging design trends for 2025, roasters need to consider factors like sustainability, convenience, and visual appeal. They contribute to consumer purchasing behaviour, so appealing to eco-conscious demographics is crucial. Roasters especially need to take Gen Z’s purchasing preferences into account. They lean towards bright packaging and RTD cold coffee products, so designing custom packaging that appeals to these evolving demands is essential.

To learn more, I spoke to Shawn Steiman, PhD, owner of Coffea Consulting and Grok Coffee. Read on to see his insight into the main coffee packaging design trends for 2025.

Trend #1: Post-consumer recycled materials

Coffee production generates 23 million tons of waste annually – and that’s before we consider the 2.5 billion single-use coffee cups that are disposed of each year. To offset this environmental impact, coffee roasters can look towards sustainable packaging as a solution. Of course, adhering to coffee packaging design trends is equally important.

As Shawn outlines, the range of recyclable or biodegradable packaging materials will grow. “The change for 2025 and beyond will be bags made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) products,” he says. This is where recyclable items like coffee bags and cups are industrially broken down and processed into new products, reducing material waste.

Roasters such as Origin Coffee and Union Coffee already make bags part consisting of PCR materials – but it isn’t a widespread industry practice yet. For smaller roasters without access to cheap PCR packaging, making this change may be challenging. That said, it’s a meaningful way for roasters to reduce their reliance on single-use materials. “I think small companies, once they figure out the logistics, will turn to this,” Shawn adds.

A rise in paper-based coffee packaging

Shawn also believes that PCR cardboard tubes for coffee will be one of the coffee packaging design trends for 2025. “They seem like the right balance between novel packaging and sustainability,” he explains. Often made from kraft paper, they are also easy for consumers to recycle.

To him, the main issue with tubes is implementing features like one-way degassing valves, which are common on coffee bags. He recommends the use of “airtight lid[s] containing a one-way valve,” keeping the tube sealed while filtering out carbon dioxide.

Alongside this, paper-based alternatives to rigid coffee packaging, like paper cans, are likely to develop as a coffee packaging design trend in 2025. Towards the end of 2024, Sonoco revealed fully recyclable paper coffee cans. Made of 95% paper and a fibre base, they are a more sustainable alternative to single-use coffee cups as they can be recycled more easily.

Trend #2: Experiential coffee packaging

Beyond practical features, roasters should also experiment with experiential coffee packaging design trends for 2025. This is where packaging features design elements that harness modern technology to augment the consumer experience.

They can communicate more than the information listed on the packaging – and help engage modern consumers such as millennials and Gen Z, who embrace new technology faster than brands realise.

With this in mind, some roasters use QR codes and near-field communication (NFC) tags on coffee packaging. Scanning these features on a mobile device will redirect consumers to articles or videos produced by the roaster. This means consumers can access information on the roaster’s values and practices without needing to print it on the packaging.

Trend #3: Minimalism remains popular

Packaging design is an important consideration for consumers when buying coffee. To stay ahead in a competitive field, roasters need to be flexible with their design – adapting to changing expectations and emerging coffee packaging design trends for 2025.

In recent years, there has been a rise in minimalist packaging design due to its aesthetic appeal and lower material requirements. Equally, paper and cardboard packaging is growing in popularity as consumers consider it more eco-friendly than single-use plastic.

Beyond that, aesthetic choices such as colours, typography, and materials remain important ways to distinguish yourself. Grok Coffee does this by packaging coffee in resealable glass jars. “The label is printed on 100% recycled printer paper and attached with a rubber band,” Shawn explains. They operate a re-use system where customers send the jars back after finishing the coffee. “In my opinion, [it’s] the most sustainable option,” he adds.

Trend #4: Quirky – but sustainable – design

While some roasters opt for sleek minimalist designs, eye-catching maximalist coffee packaging can also help distinguish your product on shelves. Provided you use sustainable materials to align with consumer trends towards environmentalism, coffee bags can be a blank canvas to communicate your brand’s individuality. This could be one of the new coffee packaging design trends for 2025.

Roasters like Couplet Coffee use transparent coffee bags with a holographic sheen, which protects the coffee from sunlight. Couplet’s packaging stands out from other brands due to its range of colours and cartoonish iconography, opting for a ‘busy’ design that gives consumers plenty to look at.

This maximalist approach to coffee packaging design trends conveys the roaster’s personality and unique approach. It also creates an association between that brand and a distinct visual design that sticks in consumer’s minds.

Ensuring packaging remains sustainable is essential for maximalist coffee bags. Fortunately, features like embossing and card slots can be made from low-VOC inks or recyclable materials. Therefore, roasters can strike a balance between quirky design that doesn’t compromise sustainability.

Trend #5: Convenience-led design

Convenience is still the main factor consumers take into account when buying coffee. This means new coffee packaging design trends for 2025 must simplify use, storage, and disposal. Easily recyclable packaging options such as aluminium cans for ready-to-drink coffee are a perfect example.

“My hope is that folks will stick with cans and other [truly] recyclable materials,” Shawn says while reflecting on this. “ I fear, though, that thinner, cheaper plastic bottles will appear, instead.”

This aligns with an overall rise in the popularity of RTD coffee beverages since the pandemic. Rather than waiting in coffee shops for a barista to make their drink, consumers are picking up cans of cold coffee from store shelves.

It’s a more convenient way of getting coffee – and something consumers have been leaning towards for years. In 2021, Starbucks reported that almost three-quarters of its US Q3 sales were cold beverages. Four years later, roasters have more options than ever for producing bespoke RTD beverages.

“Ultimately, packaging is constantly moving towards ease and making us feel good about our choices,“ Shawn concludes. However, he thinks there is still room for improvement in coffee packaging design trends. “It can be more of a tool that does what it needs to do for the product – but not at the expense of the environment.”

At MTPak Coffee, we can help your coffee business adapt its packaging strategy to keep up with coffee packaging design trends for 2025. We offer solutions across the supply chain, from customisable PureLock jute bags to double-wall coffee cups that can be made from compostable or recyclable materials.

We can assist you in creating packaging that adheres to coffee packaging design trends for 2025 and aligns with consumer demands for lower environmental impact. To learn more about how MTPak Coffee can assist your business, contact our team today.