The Government of Canada has awarded a $1 million (£0.57m) grant to NEXE Innovations to support the commercialisation of coffee pods that are 100% compostable and plant-based.

Its Nespresso Compatible Pods achieve 100% breakdown by composting within 10 weeks, meeting international standards required for certification as compostable materials.

NEXE’s trials also found its Compatible Pods had no negative effects on the quality of the resulting compost.

With the latest funding, the company will be able to focus on the second phase of its project which supports scaling up the manufacturing process of its coffee pods and improving the compatibility of bioplastics derived from wood-based biomass for early-stage commercialisation.

The project was recognised for its potential to improve the compostability of bioplastics and to substantially reduce plastic waste.

Seamus O’Regan Jr, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources said: “A morning coffee with zero plastic waste. It’s just one of the ways our forest sector is building a cleaner, greener future.”

The pods are claimed to be the only patented, compostable, single-serve beverage pods designed to store more volume of product per capsule than other leading brands.

Dr. Zachary Hudson, Chief Scientific Officer at NEXE Innovations added: “We are grateful to the Government of Canada for this award, which reflects its commitment to nurturing innovative, Canadian-made solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems.

“At NEXE, we have developed and validated sustainable plant-based materials that are better for the environment without compromising on the needs of the consumer. We look forward to bringing them to market with the support of Innovative Solutions Canada.”