Market Lane Coffee understands its niche and, most importantly, its customers in the specialty coffee roasting and retail sector. They strive to be at the forefront of sustainable best practices because they are motivated to do so, not because they have to!

Committed to sourcing, roasting, and sharing exceptional coffee in a way that respects both people and the planet, Market Lane has spent over a decade innovating ways to minimise waste within its supply chain.

Over a sustained period, they have been constantly reimagining what good looks like, how to reduce impact, and how to align product and packaging to maximise positive impact and inform ESG objectives.

So, they set out to find the most sustainable packaging solution for their coffee.

The Opportunity

Understanding that materials and technology continuously evolve, Market Lane Coffee made a groundbreaking move in 2018 by transitioning from foil-lined bags to partially biodegradable Biotre bags crafted from a renewable, plant-based packaging material.

As time ticked by, we saw a rapid expansion of available materials and technologies. So Market Lane Coffee set about investigating what was available in the market, and with no shortage of choices, they started testing various options.

To navigate these complexities, they partnered with Phantm.

Considerations

Market Lane Coffee's stringent sustainable packaging practice and outstanding stock management opened up some less obvious choices for potential solutions. The Company's ability to manage product shelf life and client expectations were critical factors in the decision-making process.

Market Lane's commitment to achieving superior end-of-life outcomes for its packaging without compromising product quality or customer experience was at the core of the decision-making process. Moving away from complex laminate structures to easier-to-recycle, simpler materials was desirable.

Transitioning from a partially compostable product with an unsupported recovery system to a fully recyclable material, facilitated by kerbside collection within the paper stream, significantly reduces the impact on people and planet.

Phantm's data-driven assessment and interpretation (focusing on material mass and complexity while considering the existing recovery and recycling infrastructure) provided compelling evidence that Market Lane's choices in this phase of its journey were indeed correct.

What worked

Simplification and reducing the types of materials used in packaging to enhance its end-of-life impact without compromising the quality of the roasted coffee.

After rigorous testing, a packaging solution involving bleached kraft paper bags with a mineralised PE coating emerged as a superior alternative to previously used biodegradable packaging.

Phantm, leveraging ISO-certified datasets, provided insights that guided Market Lane Coffee through this transition, ensuring that their packaging choices were informed, responsible, and aligned with current environmental standards.

The impact of informed packaging decisions

The shift to more sustainable packaging yielded remarkable environmental benefits when compared to the previously used packaging, including:

Market Lane's diligence and commitment to doing better, measuring impact, and making informed decisions about its sustainable practices should be applauded.

"Phantm has brought insight and understanding. They took the time to understand the specific challenges and opportunities at MarketLane, ensuring the best outcomes for us and our customers. The data provided also allows us to make informed decisions and to benchmark all future choices." Suzie, Head of Sustainability, Market Lane Coffee

Conclusion

Market Lane runs towards sustainable best practices in all areas of its business. With Phantm's support, it made some significant environmental reductions with its coffee packaging without sacrificing product quality or consumer satisfaction.

This case study celebrates Market Lane's successes and serves as a beacon for other companies aspiring to balance business objectives with environmental stewardship.

As Market Lane continues to innovate and set new benchmarks in sustainability, their story serves as a testament to the power of strategic collaboration and the profound impact of making conscious packaging material choices.