Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA Leads National Effort To Reduce Single-Serve Plastic Waste By Converting To 100 Percent Compostable Coffee Pods

PORTSMOUTH, Va., April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, Inc. (MZB USA), one of the country's largest coffee roasters, has announced plans to introduce the first 100 percent compostable fully certified single-serve coffee pod to the United States market by the end of this year. The compostable pods will be compatible with all Keurig® K-Cup® brewers, including Keurig 2.0 brewers.

MZB USA will convert its entire portfolio of single-serve coffee pods to the PurPod100™ format which is expected to be certified 100 percent compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) as early as this summer. The PurPod100™, developed by Club Coffee of Canada, will be introduced first through the MZB brands Chock full o'Nuts®, Hills Bros.®, Kauai Coffee® and Segafredo Zanetti® in retail, foodservice and online channels.

In contrast to being merely "recyclable" or "biodegradable," certification as being 100 percent compostable by BPI means the new PurPod100™ single-serve coffee pod product will break down and decompose quickly into compost soil and leave no toxic residue.
(http://www.mzb-usa.com/compostability/)

"The single-serve coffee category has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. However, as the category has grown, so has the public's concern about the environmental impact of consuming coffee brewed in those plastic cups. We are confident that this new single-serve pod will provide the right solution for the industry and will answer the marketplace's demand for a more sustainable single-serve coffee product," said John Boyle, MZB USA's chief operating officer. "We are proud and excited to be the first coffee manufacturer in the U.S. to offer this to our customers."

According to Clay Dockery, MZB USA's division vice president, corporate brands, "Consumers consistently list 'packaging waste' as a top concern with the hard-cup, plastic format single-serve coffees. We now will be able to offer to our store brand partners the innovation they are looking for to address this primary concern."

Introduction of this innovation will build upon the leadership that MZB USA earlier demonstrated in the single-serve coffee category. The Filter Cup™, which the company first introduced to the market in 2013, already contains significantly less waste than traditional single-serve plastic cups. "This is a natural next step for us," said Boyle.

Keurig® and K-Cup® are registered trademarks of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
PurPod100™ is a trademark of Club Coffee Company, Inc., used under license.

About Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA:

Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA is among the nation's largest coffee roasters, with nationally recognized retail brands including Chock full o'Nuts®, Hills Bros.®, Segafredo Zanetti®, Kauai Coffee®, MJB® and Chase & Sanborn®. With its headquarters in Portsmouth, Virginia and state-of-the art manufacturing facility in Suffolk, Virginia, the company produces proprietary and private label coffee, tea and drink mix for customers in all retail and food service channels throughout North America and around the world. In addition, Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA franchises Chock full o'Nuts® Coffee Shops and Segafredo Zanetti Espresso® Cafes. Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA is part of the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, www.mzb-group.com, the world's largest privately owned coffee group comprised of nearly 50 companies operating in over 100 countries. For more information, visit: www.mzb-usa.com.