Mississauga, Ontario-based Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, one of North America’s leading coffee and tea companies and the largest supplier of private-label coffee and tea, has invested in new production capability to provide a new, more sustainable packaging option for coffee formats.
The Boardio paperboard canister, provided by Graphic Packaging International, provides an alternative to plastic, glass, and metal containers and delivers the same level of freshness and food safety with less waste. Essentially the material is a paper/foil lamination. Rolls of laminated material are cut into four flat blanks that are sent to customers like Mother Parkers, and there at the customer’s plant the canisters are formed and filled. Included is a one-way degassing valve that Graphic Packaging adds to the easy-peel membrane that is one of the four components the canister comprises. Presumably an auger filler of some kind will be part of this installation, but further details on whose filler are not available.
Mother Parkers cites recent research showing that consumers want packaging that is better for the environment, and many are willing to pay more for it. According to Mother Parkers, the consumers surveyed preferred Boardio packaging over current can and bag options that dominate today’s retail coffee market.
The new packaging delivers on sustainability, with:
• Increased transportation efficiency, as Boardio is delivered flat. Just three trucks are required for inbound packaging vs. 56 for pre-formed cans.
• A minimum of 50% less plastic versus Mother Parkers' previous bag format.
• A minimum of 80% paperboard, which is FSC® certified
Boardio also carries the How2Recycle® “widely accepted” certification.
“Mother Parkers provides our customers with a wide range of format options, including cans, bags, pre-measured portions for brewing a perfect pot of coffee, and single-serve capsules,” says Aico Konlin, director of category development for Mother Parkers. “We are always working on packaging innovation and the Boardio canister is a new format being added to our portfolio. We see it as a perfect solution across grocery, mass, and club channels, since we can offer it to our customers in sizes ranging from 10 oz to 48 oz.”
“Our new packaging solution is a win for the planet and for our customers and their consumers,” says Kim Cunningham, Mother Parkers’ chief commercial officer. “It offers a recyclable packaging option with less plastic, without sacrificing any of the freshness, consistency, or quality that Mother Parkers-produced coffee is known for. For retailers with private label coffee programs, it’s a way to show innovation, gain share, and drive shelf and transportation efficiencies, all while supporting sustainability objectives.”
The new packaging is the result of a partnership between Mother Parkers and Graphic Packaging to create a recyclable paperboard canister specifically tailored for coffee using Graphic Packaging’s Boardio technology.
“We’re committed to innovation, sustainability, and meeting the rapidly evolving demands of consumers,” said Johan Werme, Graphic Packaging’s head of sales for paperboard canister solutions. “By helping our customer Mother Parkers to transition from plastic into Boardio, we’re helping them make a world of difference to their customers, consumers—and to our planet.”
Mother Parkers will begin packing roast and ground coffee in Boardio from its Fort Worth, Texas, facility in late 2024. PW
