From the beginning I wanted to package Strange Bird Coffee in a kraft bag. A throwback to the early days of Blue Bottle, Four Barrel, Stumptown and Sightglass. These were the companies that influenced me early in my coffee career and I loved that intention to biodegradable packaging that truly differentiated specialty coffee in those earlier days.
As I did research, I realized that nearly all coffee bags, even the ones that are kraft paper and certified biodegradable or commercial compostable are all lined with plastic (PLA). Although the plastic is derived from vegetables (corn or potato) they are converted to plastic and create the same problem to our bodies and our environment as any other plastic. Great.
After many phone calls and emails with bag manufacturers, I decided to just put my coffee in a simple cardboard mailer (trying to find a simple kraft bag without any plastic lining was nearly impossible at my small scale). I am stubborn and wanted to create something memorable, no matter how dumb it seemed. So I ended up with the box I currently package Strange Bird Coffee in (months later adding a simple, paper kraft bag liner). The cardboard box was my canvas but I was no artist.
Having nearly no budget for a professional graphic designer, I reached out to a few friends hoping they would work for free or for very cheap. They refused (which makes sense) so I had to go at it myself. Again, I am no artist. So I designed the box very quickly and ordered the boxes. I did not want to continue to scrutinize the design and wait until it was my version of perfect (I would probably still be trying to figure out). Truth is, I don’t love the design, but for a first attempt at creating a retail product, I am very proud. I did it myself! And although it certainly looks self made, that was always the point. These days anyone can create top tier designs, so in some ways having a simple and less eloquent design oddly (strangely) makes it stand out.
I have already designed my second iteration for the box and look forward to getting those printed and released sooner than later (I still have over 2000 boxes to get through before that happens though). Ultimately, it was important to get the box finished and get the business up and running as quickly as possible so I could begin the conversation on how much of a detriment plastic bags are to our health and the planet.
There are thousands of roasting companies these days and each one of them probably package their coffee in some kind of plastic. Most roastery owners don’t think twice about the ecological implications and are more focused on brand and cost. With all of those beans being sold and distributed, the coffee industry is contributing heavily to the plastic pollution of our planet. I believe there are innovations that need to be made to change how we package coffee in order to stop this pollution.
Specialty coffee has always been an example of how other value chains can change how they operate and create long term innovations that lead to an overall healthier way of doing business. Perhaps the answer is not putting roasted coffee into a cardboard box or simple paper kraft bag, but it is a good vehicle in the meantime to start a much needed conversation on how we must change how we packaging our coffee.
Stephen