COFFEE BAG
Coffee bag
A Coffee bag is a large bag used for coffee storage and transport.
Traditionally it is made of jute and has a content of 60 kilograms (130
pounds), this type of bag originated in Brazil and became a worldwide standard.
It also became a measurement unit to this day, for example FAO’s statistics on
coffee production are expressed in 60-kg bags.
Jute fibers are treated with mineral oil (used to be whale oil) to improve Spin
ability, which raised questions about coffee contamination from these
hydrocarbons, but further studies showed it to be infinitesimal.
Once used, these decorative bags can be recycled or up cycled for many uses
including in clothing.
However, this long-time symbol of coffee trade is starting to be replaced by
huge polypropylene or polyethylene bags, increasingly used for coffee exports -
especially from Brazil.
