The new environmental-friendly coffee pods will be sold from December this year. Credit: Waitrose.

British supermarket chain Waitrose is set to sell its own-label home compostable coffee pods from December this year.

The initiative is a part of the retailer’s commitment to make all its own-label packaging to be recyclable, reusable or home compostable by 2025.

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According to the company, the four new Waitrose 1 coffee capsules are designed to be compatible with Nespresso machines and will be available in recyclable cardboard packaging.

The coffee pods will feature varieties from Colombia, Brazil, Peru (decaffeinated) and Italian style espresso.

“We’re committed to finding environmentally-friendly packaging alternatives and are excited by this next step.”

Waitrose coffee buyer Polly Astbury said: “Our customers love coffee and worry about the waste pods can create. By being the first supermarket to launch its own home compostable coffee pods we’re really happy to be able to offer a solution.

“We’re committed to finding environmentally-friendly packaging alternatives and are excited by this next step.”

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The retailer noted that it is sometimes difficult to separate the small capsule from the coffee grounds inside for recycling.

Since coffee grounds can be used as a fertiliser, so designing a home compostable version makes sense, according to the company.

Waitrose is already offering The Eden Project’s home compostable coffee pods, which were launched in March this year.

Last month, the retailer trialled a ready meal tray created from wood fibre.

By the end of this month, the company will roll out punnets made from tomato leaves and paper to all Waitrose Duchy tomatoes, replacing the existing plastic trays.

Waitrose is offering its pea and lentil pasta in boxes that are partly made from waste peas and lentils.

The new environmental-friendly coffee pods will be sold from December this year.

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