Plastic-Free Instant Coffee – Finally! | AD

I’ve never understood why up until now it’s been so difficult to find plastic-free instant coffee. Most instant coffee is sold in jars with plastic lids. Why not switch the plastic lid to a metal lid and the job’s done?

Thankfully, one instant coffee brand has taken the initiative and switched to plastic-free packaging. Who has made the move? Little’s Coffee.

Introducing Little’s Coffee

Little’s Coffee is a small independent family business, selling 100% Arabica coffee. They are proud to now be an 100% plastic-free instant coffee company. Spearheaded by husband and wife duo Henry and Leila Little 25 years ago, the business is now run by their son, Will Little, and his wife, Caroline. By taking the lead on removing plastic from their jars of instant coffee, this small company is definitely leagues ahead of the big boys of coffee.

Their delicious range of plastic-free instant coffee is all packaged in glass jars with 100% aluminum lids. Both of these materials, unlike plastic, can be infinitely recycled, which is much better for the environment.

Rather than popping mine in the appropriate recycling bins once I’ve finished my coffee, I’m planning on recycling my Little’s jars in different ways. Call me a geek, but I do like a good jar. Little’s jars look so very good. I have plans to use them either in my kitchen for food storage, or for health & beauty DIYs. This is before I recycle them appropriately at the end of their lives.

Of course, it’s not just all about the packaging. The plastic-free packaging is all well and good but the instant coffee has to taste good too. Thankfully, Little’s delivers above and beyond on this point. The 100% Arabica coffee is gently brewed with no nasties. This delivers a smooth and tasty single blend plastic-free instant coffee that’s available in both caffeinated and decaffeinated options.

Their decaf coffee is made still using the best quality 100% Arabica coffee. It’s also decaffeinated using a gentle CO2 process. This process retains all the coffee’s great natural taste, without the use of chemicals that are used in solvent-based decaffeination processes.

Flavoured Instant Coffee

As well as standard coffee, Little’s star of the show is their flavour-infused plastic-free instant coffees. These have evolved to suit people’s busy lifestyles. Available in a wide range of flavours – from Cardamom Bun to Gingerbread Cookie, to Irish Cream flavoured coffee – I counted 13 different flavours of plastic-free coffee to choose from. All of these are modestly priced between £2.99 and £3.20 a jar.

To be honest, I’ve never been a big fan of flavoured coffees. I find the taste of coffee syrups too sweet, and the process of measuring out sticky syrups is a bit of a faff. I was surprised to find that Little’s range of pre-flavoured coffee (again, available in caffeinated and decaffeinated) has no added sugar. This means their coffee hits the spot without the intense sugary sweetness that coffee syrups often have. What’s more, they can be whipped up in the same time it takes to make a cup of regular coffee.

I bought some Chocolate Caramel coffee and some Island Coconut plastic-free instant coffee. I’ve found both make great pick-me-ups to combat the 2 p.m. post-lunch slump. At only 4 calories a cup, the coffee is better for you than raiding the biscuit tin for that chocolate hit! Needless to say, I’ve got a jar of Little’s at work now to help keep me out of the biscuit tin.

Without being overly sweet, the Chocolate Caramel coffee smells and to me tastes just like tiramisu. My partner hates all coffee but even he conceded that the coffee smelled delicious. A world first, let me tell you! The Island Coconut coffee is not too dissimilar to a Bounty bar. This is a very good thing in my book. It’s a great way to liven up your coffee!

Where to Buy Little’s Plastic-Free Coffee

Little’s plastic-free instant coffee is available across the UK. In fact, it is stocked in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, Holland & Barrett, Dobbies Garden Centres, Booths, Whole Foods Market, Selfridges & Co, and Harvey Nichols.

Little’s also has an online shop if you can’t find a jar near you. I ordered my coffee from their online shop and was delighted to find that it shipped in a cardboard box sealed with paper tape. There was no plastic to be found – not even a shred of bubble wrap.

If you’re shopping online too, Little’s Coffee has kindly set up a discount code for Moral Fibres readers: use the discount code MORALFIBRES10 at the checkout of the Little’s Coffee webshop for 10% off your order.

Visit the Little’s online shop here for delicious coffee in recyclable packaging. Do also pay them a visit on Instagram for colourful coffee-related content!