Eco-friendly takeaway coffee cups: Material types
When investing in sustainable takeaway coffee cups, it’s important to remember the basic definition of eco-friendliness: materials that have little to no impact on the environment during their decomposition lifecycle or production. In terms of overall environmental impact, the life cycle of all eco-friendly cups surpasses that of their plastic or styrofoam counterparts.
As global awareness grows around the environmental impact of takeaway coffee cups, businesses need to adjust their in-store practices by offering sustainable alternatives. Failing to do this risks alienating the 25% of customers who prioritise sustainable spending.
The majority of eco-friendly takeaway coffee cups can be identified by their intended disposal method, such as whether they are biodegradable, compostable, recyclable, or reusable. However, consumers often assume that ‘biodegradable’ means the material will completely disintegrate naturally in the environment. By extension, many think this means they can dispose of these materials however or wherever they wish, without consequence.
In truth, biodegradable/compostable materials use biological processes to degrade naturally and yield carbon dioxide (CO2), water, methane, inorganic compounds, and biomass. It’s important not to confuse biodegradable with bio-based. For instance, plastics can either be bio-based or petrochemical-based. That said, not all bio-based materials are biodegradable, and not all biodegradable materials are bio-based.
To be labelled compostable paper cup, materials must meet added requirements, such as degrading at a rate consistent with the biodegradation of other natural waste in the same composting environment. Plus, they must leave no visually distinguishable remnants or unacceptable levels of toxic residue.
Recyclable materials, on the other hand, can be recovered, processed, and remade into new items while retaining their original qualities. A related term is recycled, which refers to materials that have undergone this process. Recyclable materials include paper, aluminium, glass, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic.
How do eco-friendly takeaway coffee cups benefit you?
Studies show many recycling programmes struggle to process petroleum-based plastics and paper cups lined with polyethylene or wax. However, suitable coating alternatives have emerged, with properties that make them just as capable as their unrecyclable counterparts. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a great example: a bioplastic that can be composted at home or in specialised facilities.
What to ask yourself before investing
“Making a material selection based solely on end of life disposition is like going to a car lot and just buying any car because you like the colour, without giving any consideration to whether you can afford it or whether it is safe,” he said. “It’s focusing on the trivial at the expense of the significant.”
Therefore, coffee brands must determine which environmental impact reductions are most critical or most aligned with their business ethics. Then, they must assess the differences in environmental impacts of available material options across their full life-cycle, not just how customers will dispose of them.
One tool for assessing these variables is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Oregon’s DEQ defines a LCA as: “a systematic approach to estimating environmental burdens associated with drawing resources from the Earth, transforming them into usable technical materials, making items from them, distributing the items, using them and ultimately dealing with the remaining solid waste via different waste treatment and recycling activities.”
When investing in eco-friendly coffee cups, brands must consider the following:
What specific recycling and composting options are available in the community?
How likely is it that customers will follow disposal guidelines?
Whether power generation in the community employs carbon-intensive fuel, renewables, or a mixture of both?
Using this information, brands can locate their business within this matrix and begin to look at what options may be most suitable.
We have the expertise to provide business owners and coffee roasters with disposable coffee cups made from high-quality materials that are kind to the environment. Our range of sustainable takeaway coffee cups is made from biodegradable or recyclable materials such as bamboo fibre, sugarcane paper, or kraft paper with an environmentally friendly PLA or aqueous lining.
Our takeaway coffee cups are available in the following sizes: 2.5oz-22 oz. Beyond this, our eco-friendly coffee cups are strong, waterproof, lightweight, and 100% compostable. Beyond this, they can be custom-designed using innovative digital printing technology to feature your brand logo, QR codes, or recycling instructions.