Pioneers Application of Amcor SoftValve Technology in U.S. Coffee Market
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WATERBURY, Vt.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Green Mountain Coffee, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR – news) and Amcor Flexibles Europe, Gloucester, UK announced today that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has become the first company in the U.S. to apply the Amcor SoftValve® to coffee packaging. The new one-way valve, manufactured by Amcor-Flexibles-Europe (AFE) is fully integrated into roll stock film that Green Mountain Coffee uses to produce portion packages of freshly roasted and ground coffee. The new valve offers significant production and environmental advantages.
Green Mountain Coffee is packaging three Fair Trade certified coffees in 1.75 oz. fractional packages that use the new Amcor SoftValve, including Rain Forest Nut®, Organic House Blend(TM), and High Andes Blend, a soon to be introduced limited edition coffee. The new portion packages will provide consumers with the opportunity to sample Green Mountain’s Fair Trade coffees in the their homes or offices. Fair Trade guarantees that the small-scale farmers who grew the coffee receive a fair price for their crop.
The new packaging eliminates the traditional one-way plastic valve that had been inserted into the roll stock film during the packaging process. The AFE packaging serves as an oxygen barrier to protect the coffee’s freshness while the SoftValve allows for the efficient release of carbon dioxide from the coffee package through cleverly concealed slits and a channel that runs the length of the pack.
The application of the new technology inherent in the AFE packaging has had a positive impact on production process efficiencies and environmental efforts. The new packaging design has enabled Green Mountain Coffee to triple the production rate of portion packages, from 28 packages per minute to approximately 100. In altering the packaging material to better incorporate the Softvalve technology, there has been a 32% reduction in material weight, saving energy, material, and their associated costs.
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By GlobalDataDonna Savage, Project Manager for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters stated, “The new Amcor SoftValve is a win-win. It is a win for our consumers, who will continue to enjoy the freshness of our roasted Fair Trade coffees now available in home- trial-size packages. It is also a win for the environment, for the new packaging uses less material, requires less energy to transport it, and has a reduced impact upon landfills.”
Don Paulsen, the U.S. Director of Sales from Amcor Flexibles Europe commented, “Green Mountain Coffee Roasters entered this project with great enthusiasm and a positive attitude to make the SoftValve packaging system work for them. The environmental advantages and improved production efficiencies will serve them well for many years.”
Green Mountain Coffee, Inc. is a leader in the specialty coffee industry and has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the “200 Best Small Companies in America.” The Company roasts high-quality arabica coffees and offers over 75 coffee selections including single-origin, estate, certified organic, Fair Trade, signature blends, and flavored coffees that it sells under the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters® and Frontier® Organic Coffee brands.
The majority of Green Mountain Coffee’s revenue is derived from its wholesale operation that serves supermarkets, convenience stores, offices, and other locations where fine coffees are sold. Green Mountain Coffee also operates a direct mail business and an e-commerce website (http://www.GreenMountainCoffee.com) with secure on-line ordering for customers from its Waterbury, Vermont headquarters. The Company seeks to make the world a better place for present and future generations by operating in an environmentally and socially conscientious manner.
