Cafés Méo switches to "Design for Recycling" PE flowpacks from adapa
In anticipation of the upcoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), Cafés Méo is taking a strategic step towards circularity by adopting Design for Recycling solutions developed in partnership with adapa, one of Europe’s leading flexible packaging manufacturers.
Since 2025, the flagship brand of the Méo-Fichaux Group – France’s largest independent coffee roaster – has begun replacing conventional PET- and aluminium-based multilayer flowpacks with polyethylene mono-material flowpacks fully compatible with existing recycling streams. This transition enables Cafés Méo to anticipate PPWR 2030 requirements while maintaining the high barrier properties essential for coffee preservation.
Sustainable packaging without compromising performance
Coffee packaging requires high-performance solutions to protect the product from oxygen, moisture and light, while also ensuring strong shelf appeal through high-quality printing. Traditionally, these requirements have been met using PET/Alu/PE structures. Today, however, comparable performance can be achieved with recyclable PE-based solutions, supporting the EU’s environmental and circular economy objectives.
According to Benjamin Leviez, Product Manager France at adapa, early action is key: “Transitioning to Design for Recycling requires time, testing and validation, especially for products with long shelf lives. Starting early allows brand owners to avoid rushed solutions as regulatory deadlines approach.”
Looking ahead to 2030
This initiative marks the first step in a broader transformation for Cafés Méo. By 2027, the company aims to offer its entire coffee range – around 50 SKUs – in recyclable packaging. The move responds to growing consumer expectations and reinforces the company’s long-standing CSR commitment, while ensuring full readiness for the PPWR, which from 2030 will require all packaging to be recyclable or reusable, with defined recyclability thresholds and minimum recycled content for plastics.
