OxBerrier battles coffee capsule waste by offering its new patented compostable technology to companies seeking sustainable single-serve options. Photo credit: OxBarrier
The global single-serve coffee capsule market is significant. In countries such as Spain, France, and Belgium, more than half of retail coffee sales by value now come from single-serve capsules and pods. Unfortunately, this convenience comes at a cost: millions of single-use capsules are consumed annually worldwide — most of them not recycled or composted. Determined to combat capsule waste, OxBarrier has developed a new compostable pod that extends shelf life and is sharing this game-changing technology with companies in over 30 countries.
In 2024, the single-serve capsule and pod market share was valued at $29.6 billion and is projected to reach $53 billion by 2033, according to IMARC Group. As the largest market, Europe alone accounted for approximately 39% of global revenues in 2023, according to Grand View Research. The European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation explicitly identifies capsules as a priority for redesign, underscoring consumer demand for sustainable options.
What the Science Says
Coffee pods and capsules, while convenient, carry a measurable environmental impact. Research shows that packaging alone contributes 10-15% of the climate footprint per cup, a significant share on top of emissions from coffee cultivation and brewing. With billions of capsules consumed annually, the challenge of managing aluminum and plastic waste has become a central issue in the debate over the industry’s sustainability.
Compostable capsules may provide a promising alternative by directly addressing this packaging burden. A 2024 peer-reviewed study in Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy found that when compostable capsules are processed in industrial composting facilities, their environmental performance can slightly outperform aluminum. The benefits are most apparent when supported by the proper infrastructure, where capsules can break down in just weeks. While home composting remains slower and less predictable, clear certification and design improvements make compostables a viable path toward reducing the waste problem without compromising the convenience that has fueled the popularity of pods and capsules.
The Shelf-Life Dilemma
Freshness has been the Achilles’ heel of compostables. Aluminum and multilayer plastics provide excellent barriers to oxygen and moisture, protecting coffee aromas for months. While aluminum capsules often preserve freshness for 12 months or more, most compostables still fall in the 6-8 month range. This time difference highlights why shelf-life innovation has become a critical frontier.
Compostables typically fall short, with gas exchange leading to shorter best-before dates and a decrease in coffee quality. This discourages retailers from stocking them and risks disappointing consumers. Some producers add plastic overwraps to extend shelf life, but that undermines the very sustainability claims compostables rely on.
A Race for Sustainability and Compliance
This is the gap that some companies, like OxBarrier B.V., aim to fill. Based in the Netherlands, OxBarrier has developed a patented compostable capsule with an integrated oxygen barrier. By embedding barrier protection into the capsule walls, the company claims it can deliver a shelf life on par with aluminum without requiring additional layers.
Other players are also testing alternatives, from Novamont’s compostable capsules developed for Lavazza in 2015 to Keurig’s recyclable polypropylene pods launched in 2020, suggesting OxBarrier’s endeavors are part of a wider wave of capsule innovation rather than an isolated effort.
In September 2025, OxBarrier started promoting a licensing program covering more than 30 countries, thanks to the patented development. Rather than manufacturing capsules itself, it offers the technology to roasters, manufacturers, and private labels.
For SMEs, this matters. Most small roasters and private brands cannot afford to invest in advanced barrier research and development (R&D) or navigate patent disputes. With OxBarrier, they may license a proven design, focus on their coffee and branding, and still offer capsules that meet both quality and sustainability expectations.
For capsules, the real breakthrough will come when sustainability no longer means sacrificing freshness, but it will also depend on regulatory pressure, infrastructure expansion, and consumers’ willingness to pay for sustainable convenience. OxBarrier’s approach may be one of the first to offer both — and to make it available across the entire coffee industry, not just its biggest players.