BIOTRĒ™ Packaging

At Vermont Artisan Coffee, we use plant-based and compostable packaging  

Biotrē™ is TricorBraun Flex’s flexible packaging film made from plant-based, renewable, and compostable resources, including wood pulp and sugar cane.  The Biotrē™ 2.0 Bag is 60% compostable, with nearly all plant-based, renewable film layers. Each version of Biotrē™ has been tested using ASTM D6868 standards.

Biotrē™ 2.0 is Natural Kraft paper with a wood pulp- based barrier layer and an interior plant-based Polyethylene “PE” layer. 60% of the material by weight has been shown to break down into healthy compost in 12 weeks/90 days using ASTM D6868  test conditions.

The interior layer consists of nearly all plant-based, renewable Polyethylene “PE” made from sugar cane. This is a durable, non-biodegradable layer. This robust, plant-based film makes up the remaining 40% and though it will not break down quickly, it uses a sustainable source instead of fossil fuels like typical plastics. Notes: • The greenhouse gas CO2 is absorbed and reduced during the plant’s growth to help prevent global climate change.

How To Dispose of Biotrē™ Bags To dispose of a Biotrē™ 1.0 or 2.0 bag, it's recommended to remove the valve and zipper before placing the bag in your home compost.  After 12 weeks remove any remaining bag material and throw away in your trash.  Biotrē™ 1.0 and 2.0 should not be disposed of in curbside (industrial) compost.

Industrial Composting  vs. Home Composting The term “home compostable” is being redefined in our times. Ten years ago, it meant an item would disintegrate in a compost pile where an individual household disposed their food and yard waste. Now it’s beginning to have some time frames and conditions associated with the term as defined by agencies and certification bodies. The general idea is for a bag to break down around 90% at a temperature around 58°C (136°F) in something like 26 weeks. The other type of composting is industrial composting. In industrial  composting, the composition of the compost is actively managed, the chemistry and temperature are monitored, and the compost is mixed and turned using heavy equipment. These are large scale operations designed to achieve consistent quality compost with high throughput.  A good-looking, nutrient and microorganism rich compost is desired for commercial use. The most well-known test to qualify a paper/ plastic material for industrial composting is ASTM D6868.  This mixes the material with active compost and holds a constant temperature of 58°C (136°F). It looks for the bag to disintegrate at least 90% in 12 weeks. Biotrē™ 1.0 and 2.0 will disintegrate 60% using the ASTM D6868 conditions, but because industrial composters need materials that disintegrate at least 90%, we don’t say these pass ASTM D6868 or are industrial compostable. We say ASTM D6868 conditions were used to show 60% disintegration. To dispose of a Biotrē™ 1.0 and 2.0 bag, we say to place the bag in your home compost. We have proven that about 60% of Biotrē™ 1.0 and 2.0 will disintegrate into healthy compost in a home managed compost pile. However, given the evolving understanding of the term “home compostable” we must be careful to differentiate between our materials which have been observed by us to disintegrate relatively quickly in home compost and those that are certified as meeting the time frame in one of the “home compostable” standards.