Oliver and Edie, more than biodegradable coffee pods

What started on a little market coffee stall, led the creation of Oliver and Edie with an incredible philosophy behind the brand. The most delicious coffee with organic  integrity and high quality, bringing awareness to the environmental issues around pods consumption and offering a solution with these biodegradable coffee pods.

We interview Andre Nascimento, co-founder and owner-operator at Oliver & Edie, providers of these biodegradable coffee pods and premium organic coffee products. He brings us the coffee culture in its fullest, inviting us to enjoy each other’s company and cultivate connection in the most eco-conscious way possible. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

What is your background, and what was the tipping point for you to start a business related to coffee?

Brazil’s been the biggest coffee exporter in the world for the last 150 years and I was fortunate enough to have grown up there. My father introduced me to coffee, as a young boy I remember watching him drink his dark black filtered coffee every day. It wasn’t until getting to Australia 12 years ago that I discovered the boutique coffee culture here and started my journey into the speciality coffee world. Three years ago, I bought a coffee cart in Brisbane and my whole perspective evolved.

The markets atmosphere was so much more than just fresh, local produce, great smelling aromas & tasty street food, I started to see the experience it created between people; smiles all around, people connecting over a fresh brewed cup of coffee, finding out where & how their produce was sourced or, simply enjoying each other’s company going around the aisles of multiple stalls and to me, that is the essence of life.

What is the mission behind Oliver and Edie, aside from creating great quality coffee?

We provide eco-friendly, premium organic coffee products that inspire people to connect, share experiences while contributing to a more sustainable future.

For us, that’s what it’s all about, quality organic products and more than just supplying the best tasting coffee, it’s about bringing awareness to the environmental issues around pods consumption and offering a solution. We aim to create a conscious consumer living that has an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.

What would you say are all the properties of your coffee?

Our Signature Blend is Brazilian, Colombian & Papua New Guinean, Certified Organic coffee beans. It’s smooth and very well balanced and we love its unique aroma & flavour notes.

Where is your coffee produced and how does the process look like?

Well, all three beans used in our signature blend are grown back in their farms in their country of origin, all certified beans to make sure our coffee is organic & GMO-free, maintain the quality and make sure is supporting the farmers and their communities. So, here in Australia (South Brisbane), we blend all 3 single origin green beans to our blend ratio and roast it to perfection to our blend roasting profile.

What part of this process makes the difference to work towards a more sustainable way of doing it?

All processes really and, all the certifications are a big part of it but I believe it goes back to our mission and our values, raising awareness and educating with conscious consumerism, constantly trying to improve our products and reduce our waste contributing to a more eco-friendly and sustainable future.

Are there any certifications you have earned along the way?

The Rainforest Alliance, NASAA Organic and also Australian Certified Organic, all of the certifications are to ensure we maintain that organic integrity and quality. The Rainforest & NASAA guarantee we are avoiding synthetic or artificially produced pesticides, fertilizers and GMO. Both of them also support the local farmers and their communities. It assists them in preventing soil erosion and improving soil quality, promoting biodiversity by growing a variety of crops; also conserving energy and, finally, protecting wildlife, stream banks and watersheds.

The Australian Certified Organic certification is to maintain the organic integrity and standards throughout all the processing and handling of the coffee here in Australia.

Let’s dig into the biodegradable coffee pods, what are they made out of?

Our pods are 100% Biodegradable and GMO-free. They’re a plant-based composite made from sugar cane & sugar beet, so 100% renewable resources. They also meet the Biodegradable EN13432 standards and have the Compostable 7P0555, Vinçotte S660 Ok Compost & Ok Biobased certifications.

In ideal compost conditions, they’ll fully break down in only 180 days and if they’re thrown away with the waste they’ll fully break down in the landfill, as opposed to 150-500 years for conventional aluminium & plastic pods respectively!!

Oliver and Edie #coffee pods are 100% #biodegradable GMO-free. A #plantbased composite made from sugar cane & sugar beet. In ideal compost conditions, they'll fully break down in only 180 days, as opposed to 150-500 years for… Click To Tweet

What was the most challenging part in the process of creating this particular product?

Building awareness about the effects that consumerism has on our Planet has many challenges. Yes, there are more cost-effective options for any product and every industry always available but some of these options come with a larger footprint. Changing the way people view products and make purchases is what we find challenging at time.

In which machine could we use the biodegradable coffee pods?

Any pod machine for *Nespresso compatible capsules.

For those who are into the zero waste lifestyle and tend to compost all their trash, are these coffee pods suitable too?

Absolutely, as mentioned, in ideal compost conditions, they’ll fully break down within 180 days!

How do you think these initiatives would help to change the mindset or habits of a wider community?

We believe everyone is always doing their absolute best to make the best decisions at the moment with the information they have at that particular time. As information spreads and people are given tools and options, we believe people will start to challenge other thoughts and behaviours around plastics and recyclables.

Is there any particular brand you have teamed up with that is supporting you with the mission of sustainability?

Unique Health Products is one of our business partners. They wholesale to health food shops and businesses all throughout Australia. They too are passionate about protecting our planet and are an absolute pleasure to align with.

If you could write a message on a big wall that the entire world could read, what would it say?

Live your purpose, be positive, cultivate connection through love and friendships, be socially and economically conscious, support each other and find balance.

Let’s say a wholesaler or coffee-lover who reads this would like to get your coffee right away, how should they get in touch with you?

Visit our website www.oliverandedie.com, email me at [email protected] and also find us on Facebook or Instagram.

Is there any other similar brand you know or are curious about? Comment below, and we will make it happen!