Where should you put recycling symbols on sustainable coffee bags?

Sustainable coffee bags can be made of a variety of materials, such as kraft paper and polyethylene (PE). The downside of this is that to decompose properly, each must be disposed of through different recycling streams.

Recent studies show that less than 12% of plastics are properly recycled in the United States – and consumer confusion about how to dispose of different materials is part of the issue. Therefore, consumers need recycling symbols on sustainable coffee bags to be legible, informative, and simple.

To learn more about the importance of recycling symbols on sustainable coffee bags, I spoke to David Jameson. He is the founder of Danelaw Coffee, based in Yorkshire, England. Read on for his insight into where these recycling symbols should be placed on coffee packaging.

What do the recycling symbols on sustainable coffee bags mean?

Consumers are broadly familiar with the Mobius symbol, which shows three arrows looping back on itself. When printed on a coffee bag, this indicates that the packaging can be recycled. Although 90% of consumers are aware of this label and value the recyclability of packaging, this symbol doesn’t specify the correct collection stream for the product to be accepted.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a common material choice for recyclable coffee bags – and is an example of how important recycling symbols are. LDPE typically has a #4 resin code, meaning it may not be suitable for curbside recycling with other plastics. In this case, it must go through a separate recycling stream through mail-in or drop-off programs. When incorrectly disposed of, it can contaminate entire plastic waste streams and divert them to landfills.

Because consumers may not know what each recycling symbol means, the packaging should be as low-impact and simple to recycle as possible. That way, even if they aren’t entirely sure on how best to recycle the coffee bag, it can still be disposed of responsibly.

However, you also need to ensure that the placement doesn’t impact your overall branding. “I find that the recycling symbols are really important, but not so important that they supersede any other marketing messaging that you want on your packaging,” David says.

With new soft packaging collections set to launch in England in 2027, there are constant opportunities for roasters to change their packaging strategy. To adapt to evolving legislation, you may need to adjust your recycling symbols accordingly. It’s an ongoing negotiation between ongoing recycling changes and packaging design to ensure you remain compliant.

Where should you print symbols and instructions on sustainable coffee bags?

Studies show that consumers spend less than two seconds reading the text on consumer packaged goods. Furthermore, visual elements are more effective at relaying information, because consumers perceive them faster and often without intentionally processing them.

For this reason, adding clear recycling symbols can improve the chances of consumers recycling a coffee bag. However, the complexity of recycling labels and sorting systems may limit their success rate. For example, only 32% of consumers know what the resin code within the recycling Mobius symbol means, so clearer communication is certainly necessary.

To address this, roasters can customise sustainable coffee bags to inform consumers about proper recycling practices. This can be in the form of short text instructions, graphics demonstrating the correct way to recycle the bag, or even a QR code that links to a web page.

But what about placement? First and foremost, to ensure that these symbols are clearly identifiable, they should appear consistently across all products in a given range. For instance, if your house blend includes the Mobius loop and #4 on the base of the bag, it’s good practice to put it in the same place on your single-origin packaging. Equally, the symbols need to be large, eye-catching, and legible. This helps them capture attention and provide the required information quickly.

“When creating custom packaging, I tend to position these symbols on the base of the pack,” David explains. “They can be found easily, but [it] leaves the majority of the pack’s front real estate available for communication messaging.” For its Nott Coffee decaf range, packaged in flat-bottom coffee bags, it includes the #4 resin code and CO2 neutral insignia on the base.

As David explains, a lot of the strategy depends on whether you source stock or custom sustainable coffee bags. “When I buy generic blank bags, I often find that the recycling symbols are on the opposite side of the bag to the valve,” he says. “I usually use this as my bag front, meaning the images are front and centre for my customers to see.”

How can manufacturers and roasters educate consumers about recycling sustainable coffee bags?

For sustainable coffee bags to fit into a circular economy, manufacturers and roasters must unanimously communicate guidelines and terminology to consumers. This requires collaboration between packaging suppliers and roasters to constantly make communication clearer.

By customising the packaging, it gives roasters the power to choose their position. For smaller roasters, however, this can be less accessible. “It’s a direct cashflow trade-off between the investment required to produce customised packaging versus the compromise of less professional-looking packaging,” David explains. Even with stock packaging, you should look for symbols that allow you to position yourself as environmentally friendly and transparent.

Danelaw Coffee’s packaging demonstrates how a clearly positioned recycling symbol encourages customers to properly dispose of sustainable coffee bags. This fosters sustainable practices that reduce the amount of single-use waste that ends up in landfills.

For roasters and coffee businesses looking for custom sustainable coffee bags to display recycling symbols, MTPak Coffee offers a range of materials and product shapes. Our team of experts can assist in the design process to determine the best position and style for recycling symbols. That way, they will be clear and easy for your consumers to understand.

Equally, we offer a range of low-impact materials like kraft paper and polyethylene coffee bags to make the recycling process easy for your customers. We also offer low-VOC inks included as you design your custom coffee bags. This can reduce recycling confusion among your customers without sacrificing your packaging’s protective qualities.

To learn more about how MTPak Coffee can assist with your coffee packaging, including the relevant symbols, get in touch with the team.

Key takeaways

• By using widely recognisable recycling symbols on sustainable coffee bags, you can make it easy for consumers to dispose of it properly.
• You should ensure the symbols are prominent enough to guide disposal, but without disrupting your key branding.
• Placing recycling symbols on the base or reverse side allows you to combine practicality with custom design.
• You can also consider features like QR codes or short instructions for consumers who may not understand resin codes.