Cafés Méo, the flagship brand of France’s largest independent coffee roaster Méo-Fichaux, has begun transitioning its coffee pad packaging to polyethylene-based “Design for Recycling” (D4R) flowpacks supplied by adapa, marking an early strategic response to the EU’s upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
The new PE flowpacks have been in commercial use since mid-2025 and replace conventional PET and aluminium-based laminate structures. According to adapa, the solution is designed to align with the recyclability requirements that will apply from 2030, while maintaining the barrier performance required for sensitive coffee products.
For Cafés Méo, the decision reflects a long-term corporate responsibility strategy rather than a last-minute compliance exercise. The family-owned Méo-Fichaux group has positioned CSR as a core value for decades, while consumer expectations around the environmental footprint of packaging continue to rise. Finding a recyclable structure that did not compromise taste, shelf life or production efficiency was therefore central to the project.
The PE flowpacks supplied by adapa were developed to integrate into existing packaging operations, enabling the roaster to transition without disruptive changes to its production set-up. Moving early also allowed the partners to manage testing and validation without the time pressure expected closer to PPWR enforcement.
Adapa frames the project as an example of how brand owners can use the remaining years before 2030 to de-risk packaging transitions. Benjamin Leviez, Product Manager France at adapa, said: “Thanks to our many years of experience, we know that switching packaging to Design for Recycling can take time – especially for products that require longer shelf lives and process testing. By starting the transition with customers now, we can avoid rushed, short-term changes just before the strict PPWR regulations come into force. We see ourselves as a partner who develops the right packaging solution for a long-term future.”
The cooperation between the two companies spans around three decades, but the current packaging conversion alone required five years of development. During this period, adapa and Cafés Méo jointly tested and refined mono-material structures based on PE, MDO-PE and BOPE, some of which was sourced from adapa’s own extrusion capabilities. The aim was to ensure compatibility across multiple production lines while meeting the functional demands of coffee packaging.
Coffee remains one of the most demanding applications for flexible packaging. Protection against oxygen, moisture and light is critical to preserve aroma and quality, and packaging integrity must be maintained throughout logistics and retail handling. Historically, these requirements have been met using complex PET/aluminium/PE laminates, which deliver high barrier performance but are incompatible with mechanical recycling streams.
With the PPWR setting ambitious targets for recyclability, recycled content and material reduction from 2030, such multi-material structures will need to be replaced. The PE-based flowpacks adopted by Cafés Méo are intended to offer a recyclable alternative that remains compatible with existing collection and recycling systems.
The project also relied on close coordination with packaging machinery. According to adapa, only minimal adjustments were required to Cafés Méo’s existing equipment to achieve standard operating efficiency with the new materials, reducing both cost and operational risk.
Alice Roussaud, Product Manager at Cafés Méo and one of the leads on the project, described the market significance of the change: “The Méo pads are the first products to be packaged according to the ‘design for recycling’ principle and are already on the market. This clearly positions us as an innovator and pioneer in the industry. With the early introduction of ‘mono solutions’, we are consistently continuing our corporate philosophy, whose success, with a history spanning more than 120 years, is based on the pillars of taste, accessibility and engagement.”
For Cafés Méo, the switch to PE flowpacks represents the first phase of a broader packaging overhaul. By 2027, the company aims to offer its entire coffee portfolio—around 50 products—in recyclable packaging, ensuring alignment with both regulatory requirements and internal CSR objectives.
The PPWR, which will apply from 1 January 2030, requires all packaging placed on the EU market to be recyclable or reusable and to meet defined recyclability performance thresholds. The regulation will also introduce binding minimum recycled content requirements for plastic packaging, alongside obligations to reduce packaging weight and volume.
By acting several years ahead of these deadlines, Cafés Méo and adapa are positioning themselves as early movers in the transition toward circular flexible packaging—an approach that may prove increasingly attractive as regulatory pressure intensifies across Europe’s food and beverage sector.
