How can sustainable packaging development succeed under real market conditions? At WOMEN4PACKAGING during FACHPACK 2025, Vanessa Büning (Packaging Development Manager) and Jasmin Duensing (Team Leader New Materials & Capsules) from Tchibo provided clear answers. Drawing on many years of experience in R&D and packaging development, they demonstrated how coffee packaging can be gradually adapted to meet the requirements of the circular economy and the PPWR regulation. Their insights made one thing clear: when expertise is shared, solutions emerge that move the entire industry forward
How important is a women’s network like WOMEN4PACKAGING for the packaging industry – and what does it mean to you personally?
Jasmin Duensing: For me, it is a great enrichment for the industry. I believe that exchange is always valuable – especially among women, and particularly in technical fields. The dialogue at WOMEN4PACKAGING often goes a step deeper than in other networks. In addition, WOMEN4PACKAGING offers a platform specifically for women who might feel less confident speaking up or asking questions in larger forums. It provides a protected space for open and honest exchange.
Ms Büning, how did you experience the last event?
Vanessa Büning: Essentially, I can only agree. The exchange was very open. Everyone is truly welcome, and you get the feeling that you can easily engage in conversation with anyone. Often, overlaps emerged with participants from completely different fields that you wouldn’t have expected at first.
For example?
Vanessa Büning: The discussions went far beyond food packaging and also covered topics from mechanical engineering. This year, for example, the WOMEN4PROCESSING networking event took place in parallel. It became clear how strongly the network is expanding into technical areas. There were many overlaps with topics such as AI, systems and software solutions, which provided new starting points and perspectives. Overall, this created a very tangible “crossover” that reflects the diversity and dynamism of the network.
Did this link between process and packaging also provide impulses for sustainability – a key focus area at Tchibo?
Vanessa Büning: Absolutely. Without going too deeply into technical details, the example of machinery and processes clearly shows how closely everything is interconnected. In our plants, we have already experienced that sustainable materials place different demands on processes. This means it’s not enough to adapt the material alone. You also have to look at the processes themselves and examine how workflows can be made more sustainable and improved.
How does packaging fit into Tchibo’s overall strategy of positioning coffee as a sustainable and fair product? What role does packaging play for you?
Jasmin Duensing: Sustainability has a very high priority at our company and has been firmly anchored in our values since 2006. Packaging – especially coffee packaging, but also packaging for all other products – is a key element of this strategy. We want to demonstrate externally that not only the coffee itself, but also its packaging, is part of a holistic sustainability approach.
And what about coffee in multi-material packaging? Combining product protection and sustainability is not easy there.
Vanessa Büning: That’s true – coffee is a particular challenge. As you mentioned, coffee is a premium product. It’s not immediately perishable, but freshness and aroma are absolutely critical. That’s why product protection has the highest priority for us.
Nevertheless, since 2023 we have succeeded in converting initial formats to recyclable solutions. The traditional standard used for coffee packaging was not recyclable. Today, alternatives are available, and we are among the first to actively pursue this transition – while maintaining consistently high quality. We have strict quality requirements, conduct storage tests, tastings and further evaluations. And we can demonstrate that the new packaging protects the coffee just as reliably.
What will be the focus in the coming years?
Jasmin Duensing: We are on a very good path when it comes to recyclability and will continue working on it. We are already quite advanced, especially with capsules. Now the focus is increasingly on recycling at scale: how are sorting systems in Germany actually set up? And what is happening across the EU? Germany is comparatively well positioned, but requirements differ from country to country – and our packaging has to work everywhere. This will definitely present challenges. At the same time, we are continuing to work on material reduction without compromising product protection.
And on a personal level – what excites you about contributing to this transformation in your daily work? What motivates you?
Vanessa Büning: Packaging is an incredibly dynamic field – that excites me every single day. It never gets boring because the framework conditions are constantly changing. At the moment, sustainability and the PPWR are at the forefront, and they will continue to shape our work for a long time. You start at a relatively superficial level – for example, asking: “What does recyclability actually mean?” – and then go deeper and deeper: recycling at scale, EU regulations, the use of recyclates, and so on. Packaging development is a continuous process that never ends. And that is exactly what makes this field so exciting and attractive.
Editor: Alexander Stark, FACHPACK360°