in partnership with Borealis
Zero Waste Cup collaboration
The reusable cup manufacturing solution
Every year an estimated 600 billion single-use cups are thrown away. With growing consumer concern over the adverse environmental impacts of disposable packaging, governments worldwide are introducing legislation to encourage reusable alternatives.
The challenge for packaging manufacturers and brands is how they can join this reuse revolution cost effectively whilst maintaining customer convenience and a high-quality experience.
The low-cost reusable and recyclable cup weighs less than many single-use paper alternatives and features strong skin-foam-skin walls moulded in seconds
Collaboration meets the reuse challenge
The Zero Waste Cup™ shows manufacturers and brands how they can easily create more sustainable, cost-effective and high-performance reusable food service packaging to meet new legislation and customer demands.
The cup is the result of a collaboration between a group of leading manufacturing technology, material and label providers.
High performance — low cost
The durable cup weighs less than 14 grams, is lighter than many single-use paper cups, and reduces plastic use. The low weight and a short manufacturing time of around 5.5 seconds also significantly cut costs.
Life Cycle Analysis shows that reusable cups made with EcoCore foam technology reduce CO2 by 20–30% after two uses compared to popular paper single-use alternatives. And significantly reduce the risk of land as well as sea litter pollution.
As polypropylene is used for both the cup and label the container is easy to recycle at the end of its life.
The cup is over five times stronger than a plastic cup of the same weight and offers twice the thermal insulation — keeping drinks hot and fingers cool. Insulation also helps reduce condensation and water dripping from the outside when the cup is used for ice-cold drinks.
Many applications
A wide range of other food service reusables can also use the manufacturing solution, from cold drink cups that require transparency to bowls and clamshells.
Partners
The innovative container uses optimised polypropylene (Borealis), in-mould labels (MCC Verstraete), injection moulding (Arburg), Robotics (Roboplas) and physical foaming (Trexel MuCell®) along with a new foam manufacturing technology (Bockatech EcoCore®).
Electric injection moulding machine (IMM)
ARBURG is one of the world's leading machine manufacturers for plastics processing and is a pioneer in the fields of production efficiency, digitalisation and sustainability. The product portfolio includes ALLROUNDER injection molding machines, freeformers for industrial additive manufacturing, robotic systems and customer- and industry-specific turnkey solutions. The ALLROUNDERs in “Packaging” design and the CUBE series for molds are especially intended for the packaging industry. For service and sales, ARBURG has its own organizations in 25 countries at 34 locations and is represented in over 100 countries together with trade partners. Production takes place exclusively at the German headquarters in Lossburg.
EcoCore® foam manufacturing technology
Bockatech is a growth Greentech company that provides innovative EcoCore plastic foam manufacturing technology for injection moulding under licence to packaging manufacturers and brands. EcoCore is helping some of the world’s leading food-service and FMCG brands create more sustainable high performance yet low-cost thin-wall and reusable packaging. EcoCore creates more sustainable innovative packaging with a competitive edge for a wide range of sectors and applications, including retail food, caps / closures, food-service, paint / industrial pails and healthcare.
Optimised polypropylene
Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and circular polyolefin solutions and a European market leader in base chemicals, fertilizers and the mechanical recycling of plastics. We leverage our polymers expertise and decades of experience to offer value adding, innovative and circular material solutions for key industries. In re-inventing for more sustainable living, we build on our commitment to safety, our people and excellence as we accelerate the transformation to a circular economy and expand our geographical footprint.
In-mould labels
MCC Verstraete is a global supplier of premium IML label solutions. They have over 30 years of experience in offset-printing labels for injection molding, blow molding and thermoforming. In-depth understanding of materials, innovation and sustainability has made MCC Verstraete a world leader, producing over 60 million in mold labels every single day for numerous segments within the packaging industry.
Robotic cup removal and label placement
ROBOPLAS has more than 15 year’s experience in innovative design and manufacture of high-speed robots and automation systems for rigid packaging. We develop highly flexible in-mould label (IML) Robots for the manufacture of various products. The ROBOPLAS IML System can be prepared and changed rapidly between various product sizes and different cavity numbers. The ROBOPLAS IML systems we deliver are successfully used by our customers all over the world. Currently companies in more than 35 countries use ROBOPLAS IML systems and automation.
Trexel MuCell® physical foaming
Outstanding expertise to achieve the most green and economic plastic parts. Our physical and chemical foaming solutions enable lighter, more dimensionally stable products which can be produced faster on smaller, more energy efficient equipment. Trexel is much more than a technology and equipment supplier. We leverage our 20+ years of foaming expertise in providing a full range of services to support you from exploration to design through serial production to ensure your program’s success. Meet us at K show, Düsseldorf October 19th to 26th, Hall 13, B46.