On August 28, 2008, Green Mountain Coffee unveiled new, unique packaging for its 10-ounce and 12-ounce coffee lines including Signature, Fair Trade Organic, Flavored and Seasonal coffees. This completes the packaging makeover that began with roll-outs of the Newman's Own Organics and Single Origin lines of coffee. The redesigned packaging will start to appear on store shelves in late August. The redesign includes a vibrant palette of line-specific colors and illustrations that clearly differentiate one line of coffee from the other. The crisp, contemporary look also features improved communication that identifies the roast level, grind type, Fair Trade and organic certifications, and decaf options. Along with an updated logo, these features help consumers easily find their favorite Green Mountain coffee. As with Green Mountain Coffee's other recent packaging modifications, these bags also offer an environmental benefit.
The film contains 19.4% PLA (polylactic acid), a polymer made from plant-based renewable resources. Poly(lactic acid) or polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable and bioactive thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch (in the United States and Canada), cassava roots, chips or starch (mostly in Asia), or sugarcane (in the rest of the world). In 2010, PLA had the second highest consumption volume of any bioplastic of the world. The use of PLA helps reduce the environmental impact of the packaging.