SAY NO TO WASTE WITH

ECO-SELECT RECYLABLE,

PLASTIC-FREE PAPER CUP

ECO-SELECT,

THE SUSTAINABLE

PAPERCUP

RECYCLABLE WITH ORDINARY PAPER WASTE

100% FREE FROM PLASTIC

BIODEGRADABLE

SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES WASTE

PRODUCED FROM VIRGIN FIBRES- SAFE AND HYGIENIC PRODUCT

CERTIFIED SOURCES FROM NORDIC FOREST – 100% SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT

EXCELLENT PRINTABILITY

SMOOTH SURFACE WITH SOFT TOUCH

CUSTOM DESIGNED

EASY WAY TO BE SUSTAINABLE

Our love for coffee and other takeaway drinks support a giant consumption of disposable paper cups which are not recyclable but increase the waste.
Since the plastic film on a traditional paper cup is almost invisible most of the population believe that it can be loose in a used paper collector but at the end the paper waste handling facilities will select paper cups out before shipping the paper waste to be recycled in a paper mill due to the contain of plastic (PE or PLA) that makes the traditional paper cups unrecyclable so they land on the landfills.

When we look at a single paper cup it seems harmless but the estimated number of uses of paper cups in Europe has grown up globally to 58 billion pieces a year (it is 500 billion worldwide) by today which ends on the landfills. An average of 8 % of a cup is plastic as a barrier on it (PE or PLA) which means 37 120 tonnes namely 1 545 full truck- load plastic each year. In other words, it’s about four times as heavy as the Eiffel Tower.

We prefer to keep to enjoy the pleasure and comfort of the takeaway disposable products, however the challenge has been given with finding a real eco-friendly way and stop damaging the environment. We are on a mission to cut the rubbish and launched the recyclable, plasticfree Eco-Select paper cup.

Recently the global waste is such a big problem due to its’ volume that it is a must to make powerful changes in each sector in order to decrease it and make the Erath relief from the waste else our environment will collapse. In this process the activity of waste management experts is not enough anymore but packaging material producers, brands and retailers need to be involved for an efficient global result.

Sustainability -according to the Cambridge Dictionary- is the idea that goods should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment. When you represent a brand or are a retailer, we can ensure you that you make the right choice with the Recyclable, plastic-free, biodegradable Eco-Select paper cup which origins from a controlled forest management – where among others more trees are planted than harvested- in order to ensure your disposable product being completely sustainable thus environmentally-friendly.

IS ORDINARY PAPER CUP REALLY
SUCH A BIG PROBLEM?

WHY ORDINARY PAPER CUPS AREN’T
RECYCLABLE WITH PAPER WASTE?

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM
WITH PLASTIC?

IS COMPOSTABLE – PLA COATED- PAPER CUP A GOOD SOLUTION?

WHAT DOES CONTROLLED FOREST
MANAGEMENT MEAN? WHAT DOES
RECYCLING RESULT?

WHY ECO-SELECT RECYCLABLE
PAPER CUP IS THE RIGHT SOLUTION?

IS ORDINARY PAPER CUP REALLY SUCH A BIG PROBLEM?

The paper cups are made of virgin fibre-based paper however there is a Polyethylene (PE) or Polylactic Acid (PLA) coating inside and many times outside as well. This coating has 2 functions: one is that it keeps liquids from saturating the paper part of the cup and the other one is that it glues the paper fan into a shape of a cup.

Both PE and PLA coatings are plastic therefore there are 3 problems with them: it is not possible to recycle them together with paper waste therefore, they end on the landfill where they get buried and harmful to the environment when they land on the soil/water instead of a trash bin.

The estimated number of uses of paper cups in Europe has grown up to 58 billion pieces a year (it is 500 billion worldwide) by today and these plastic (PE or PLA) parts of the cups increase the waste with 37 120 tonnes namely 1 545 full truck- load plastic each year. In other words, it’s about four times as heavy as the Eiffel Tower.

Nevertheless, the landfills where they bury the waste are secured in environmental point of view, they have a limited capacity and creating new landfills time by time taking the place away from the nature couldn’t be a goal therefore decreasing the waste globally is a must today.

Since paper cups contain an average of 92% of virgin fibre of paper it would be evident to eliminate when turning into a waste with the well-developed paper recycling system as selecting, transporting and recycling the paper waste is already an existing process so no added facility would need and because with this way new paper-based products can be produced, thus the loop could be closed and the zero waste could be achieved.

However, it is not possible to recycle the ordinary paper cups with paper waste due to the plastic coating on them.

WHY ORDINARY PAPER CUPS AREN’T RECYCLABLE WITH PAPER WASTE?

The average packaging materials made of paper (packaging of food, spirits, medicines, products of beauty or even newsprint papers, etc) which are recyclable – several times– are coated with different materials as well but for a purpose of good printability, texture, gloss and never for gluing. In the ordinary paper recycling process, when they put a huge waste of different type of papers together, they easily separate it from the paper together with printing inks, short fibres, other non-paper components and the residual fibres can be repulped and processed into new paper row material what can be converted into a new paper product (book, boxes, packaging, etc.)

The PE or PLA plastic coatings – acting as a glue as well- can’t get separated from the paper in this process so the plastic would grinded in the pulp. That would result on one hand the new (recycled) outcoming paper material not to be recyclable anymore so it would end on the landfill once it turns into a waste. On the other hand, since plastic never biodegrades (it does within 400 years so in a human-scale we can say never) the new paper-based product coming out from the recycling plant would harmful the nature like ordinary paper cups do.

Therefore, ordinary paper cups are not recyclable but they end on a landfill where they bury them so increase the plastic waste.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTIC?

Plastic was a very beneficial development from different point of view like it doesn’t break that easily that glass does when it is a bottle or because of being stainless when it is a water pipe instead of a steel, etc. We use plastic almost everywhere, many products are made of plastic like toys, kitchenware, office equipments, car elements, industrial tools, etc.

When a plastic-based product is built in or anyhow is a long-term item it doesn’t bother the environment during being used however 91% of plastic waste ever created has never been recycled. They end up on a landfill get buried and remains there for about 400 years before completely breaking down.

When it is a disposable product like paper cup is, it is exponentially a big problem presently. The paper cups are hold by its’ owner for 10 minutes or for an hour and then are thrown away so they turn into a waste very rapidly therefore increase the plastic waste on the landfill in a huge amount. On the other hand, disposable products lands in the nature instead of a trash bin very often which aggressively bothers the soil, rivers, oceans by its’ extremely big amount.

Plastic biodegrades within 400 years even in the landfills however in the oceans it could break up into smaller and smaller parts and once a piece gets about the size of a sesame seed,we call it microplastic. They are many times still toxic by chemicals -even in small piecessuch as bisphenol A (BPA) and PS oligomer, additionally aquatic life and birds can mistake microplastics for food, so today plastic is a huge danger for the nature, any size it is.

IS COMPOSTABLE – PLA COATED- PAPER CUP A GOOD SOLUTION?

Compostable paper cup was introduced as a development for a solution to this environmental disaster caused by the huge amount of PE coated paper cups. The idea was to use a coating which can make the cup waterproof and glue the fan into a shape of a cup meantime it is compostable thus completely possible to eliminate once it turns to be a waste and close the loop.

This coating called PLA which is a type of a plastic however it is plant-based while PE is a petroleum-based one. At the end it didn’t bring a solution because of some different reasons:

Even in those countries who are at the first place in the industrial composting, the process of breaking down these cups is not readily available. The system to collect these cups from everywhere and bring them to those few composters are not well-developed, there are not enough composter collectors placed at the public buildings and would require quite an investment to work it up including the special logistic to the composting plants, or to build more composting plants, against the paper waste collecting and recycling which is already a satisfactorily existing system of eliminating the paper waste. Therefore almost 100% of PLA coated biodegradable paper cups end in a landfill and won’t ever be composted.

Since PLA is also a plastic it is not possible to recycle together with normal paper waste because of the same reason like PE-coated paper cups, therefore, again, these cups end on the landfills and increase the plastic waste.

PLA as a plant-based plastic behaves the same like PE, petroleum-based one and won’t ever biodegrade thus would a cup end up outside the waste handling but in the nature, it won’t break down so compostable paper cups are the same harmful like PE-coated when they are not composted.

Additionally, compostable cups contain an average of 92% virgin paper just like PE-coated cups do thus it is too valuable to be turned into mulch after a single use instead of producing new products of it up to 7 times.

In conclusion, compostable paper cups won’t get composed at the end and cause the same problems like the ordinary paper cups due to its’ plastic contain.

WHAT DOES CONTROLLED FOREST MANAGEMENT MEAN? WHAT DOES RECYCLING RESULT?

The paper part (average of 92%) of Wecup Eco-Select paper cups origins from controlled forest management and certified according to PEFC and FSC.

These systems ensure that the forests have been managed responsibly and in accordance with environmental, social and ecological values. PEFC gathers the European forestry industry in its own labelling system for responsibility, replanting and endurance of forests. FSC gathers independent parties and voluntary associations to ensure sustainable usage of the world’s forests for the sake of both humans and nature. In a controlled forest under the regulation of FSC and PEFC they plant 3 trees after each harvested one. It is an adequate question how many trees need to cut out for the consumption of paper-based disposable products, packaging materials, newsprint or books for instance however it is a bit more complex case. Paper is an essential material for several thousands of years so wood is. Due to the many changes in circumstances during the times it is evident to consider our gathered experiences and know-how in order to utilise these sources by nature in a responsible and sustainable way. When a tree is cut it is exploited on an optimal way environmentally, ecologically and economically.

Recycling entirely eliminates the waste so results a zero-waste therefore close the loop meantime a new raw material (recycled paper) will be retrieved. There is no recyclable paper exists without a paper comes directly from the forest, therefore an optimal balance between virgin fibre and recycled paper should be the goal. Eco-Select virgin fibre paper cup matches to this sustainable idea as they origin from the wood and can be recycled up to 7 times, so other paper-based products can be produced of it 7 times when no need to cut a tree out. For a paper cup it is a must to be produced of virgin paper fibre (origins from the forest) because of the secured hygienic reasons meantime there are products made of paper where it is not a point like newsprint, books, corrugated board for boxes, etc, which can be produced of recycled paper without any risk so it would be a waste to produce them of virgin fibre, therefore this system of producing virgin fibre-based papers and recycle them when they end as a waste is a kind of winwin situation in consideration of sustainability and functionality. This balance can be achieved in case many brands swift to recyclable paper cups thus acting globally is a need. It means using a recyclable paper cup is a sustainable and completely ecofriendly solution in consideration of both environment and economy.

WHY ECO-SELECT RECYCLABLE PAPER CUP IS THE RIGHT SOLUTION?

Eco-Select paper cup has a special, plastic-free dispersion barrier instead of traditional plastic coatings which besides avoids the liquid to saturate to the paper part and keeps the paper fan in a cup-shape, can be Recycled with normal paper waste. This barrier can get separated from the paper easily (together with printing inks, short fibres, other non-paper components) during the ordinary paper waste recycling so the paper part is pulpable and they can produce paper of it again, later new paper-based products.

Thanks to this structure when Eco-Select paper cups turn into a waste can be eliminated with integrating to the existing, well-developed paper recycling system so Eco-Select paper cups can be collected with normal paper waste to be recycled, therefore they don’t have to end on the landfill and don’t increase the waste anymore, like PE-coated or compostable cups.

The most evident way – in both environmental and economical point of view- of eliminating a paper waste when the structure allows, is recycling as it is already a well developed system, no additional facility is needed by the brands who use paper cups but strive to decrease the waste. Recycling entirely eliminates the waste so results a zero-waste, therefore closes the loop meantime a new raw material (recycled paper) will be retrieved.

1 Eco-Select paper cup can be recycled up to 7 times to produce other paper-based products while no need to cut a tree out.

Besides thanks to this product is plastic-free, in such a case when it ends outside of a trash bin, it won’t bother the nature like PE-coated or compostable PLA-coated ones do.

Considering all these features of Eco-Select cup and looking at the entire lifecycle we can state that this paper cup is completely sustainable since comes from a renewable source, do not damage the environment as it is plastic-free and follows the waste hierarchy’s motto of “Three R’s” say Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, thusly resulting Eco-Select cups to be thoroughly environmentally-friendly.

PRODUCTS

ECO-SELECT
PAPER CUP
4 OZ

SIZE:
4 OZ
USAGE:
AVAILABLE FOR HOT
AND COLD DRINKS
CAPACITY UP TO RIM:
1 DL
DIAMETER OF THE RIM:
60 MM
NR OF UNIT PER CARTON:
2 250 PCS
WEIGHT OF A CARTON:
8,34 KG
SIZE OF A CARTON:
370 CM X 600 CM X 360 CM

ECO-SELECT
PAPER CUP
7 OZ

SIZE:
7 OZ
USAGE:
AVAILABLE FOR HOT
AND COLD DRINKS
CAPACITY UP TO RIM:
2,3 DL
DIAMETER OF THE RIM:
80 MM
NR OF UNIT PER CARTON:
1 000 PCS
WEIGHT OF A CARTON:
6,9 KG
SIZE OF A CARTON:
370 CM X 600 CM X 360 CM

ECO-SELECT
PAPER CUP
12 OZ

SIZE:
12 OZ
USAGE:
AVAILABLE FOR HOT
AND COLD DRINKS
CAPACITY UP TO RIM:
3,6 DL
DIAMETER OF THE RIM:
90 MM
NR OF UNIT PER CARTON:
800 PCS
WEIGHT OF A CARTON:
8,32 KG
SIZE OF A CARTON:
370 CM X 600 CM X 360 CM

ECO-SELECT
PAPER CUP
16 OZ

SIZE:
16 OZ
USAGE:
AVAILABLE FOR HOT
AND COLD DRINKS
CAPACITY UP TO RIM:
4,5 DL
DIAMETER OF THE RIM:
90 MM
NR OF UNIT PER CARTON:
800 PCS
WEIGHT OF A CARTON:
10 KG
SIZE OF A CARTON:
370 CM X 600 CM X 360 CM

CUP LIDS

Lids are available for all sizes of the cups

SAMPLE BOX

We will be happy to provide a sample box filled with Eco-Select paper cups including all the features of the products to you and eager to get your feedback.

HOW TO ENSURE THE CUPS

TO GET RECYCLED

SAY NO TO WASTE

AND

YES TO RECYCLING

We print on the cups that they are recyclable with normal paper waste and can additionally provide this used cup collector box with custom design. This equipment secures the process so all the cups are collected at one place and are protected as well, it optimises the place for collecting and is a great opportunity for visualising the beneficial features of the product and also for branding with your own message on it. You can place this recycling box in your building, ask people to lose their used cups in it and once it is full it can be put in the separate paper waste bin so due to the visible label on this box used cups will be recycled in one piece in this eco-friendly recyclable paper bin collector.

We print on the cups that they are recyclable with normal paper waste and can additionally provide this used cup collector box with custom design. This equipment secures the process so all the cups are collected at one place and are protected as well, it optimises the place for collecting and is a great opportunity for visualising the beneficial features of the product and also for branding with your own message on it. You can place this recycling box in your building, ask people to lose their used cups in it and once it is full it can be put in the separate paper waste bin so due to the visible label on this box used cups will be recycled in one piece in this eco-friendly recyclable paper bin collector.

ABOUT

Wecup – the producer of the Eco-Select paper cups – was born as a start-up from a rib of the Hungarian company UgrinPack Ltd which is a second-generation family company, has been producing flexible packaging materials made of mainly papers for typically food, HORECA, catering and electronical industry.

We have been committed to develop sustainable, plasticfree products on the most optimal way for several years so could utilise our knowledge and experience in the brand-new product of recyclable, plastic-free and biodegradable EcoSelect paper cup.

The two companies are located at the same plant therefore all the partial operations – including customizing the paper cups by printing them on a Flexo machine by Ugrinpack Ltdare accomplished by our group that allows to control quality precisely and completely at each stage of production and delivery. Furthermore, this integrated production line results a low environmental footprint and is more cost-effective meantime we can be quite flexible in case of special demands too.

We are one of the founder of the First Hungarian Packaging Technology Cluster – Omnipack with 32 members of enterprise – which holds the Silver label by the European Cluster Management Excellent Initiative (ECEI) and can provide an Audit of Packaging Technology in terms of RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in order to offer a custom solution for the less amount and the most eco-friendly packaging materials according to the activity of an enterprise. Today – due to the significantly increased amount of waste by packaging materials in the FMCG sector- it is an extremely important global task to develop the packaging truly sustainable and thus environmentally-friendly. These changing in technologies have just started and the best practices are continuously under developing by a partnership of waste management experts, laboratories, universities and producers in cooperation with more and more brands worldwide.

We are also involved in two international projects – called. Usable packaging and Biocompac- with several enterprises, institutes across Europe where the main aim is to find the most optimal construction of paper-based packaging materials, taking into account both the functionality/design and the waste management of these materials instead of
using a plastic-coated (PE, PLA, etc.) paper.

Considering the paper cups which contain an average of 92% paper of the entire product, recycling with normal paper waste is the most evident way of achieving a Zero waste on the most economical way -since separate paper collecting and recycling system is already well-developed , no need new facility to be invested and a new product will be produced of the cups – and from now on, this is solved by the new development of the plastic-free dispersion barrier on the virgin paper cup, against the PE or PLA coated paper cups which contain plastic thus are not recyclable but increase the waste by landing on a landfill.

We are proud and glad to get success in being able to offer this brand-new solution on the huge global environmental problem and can encourage you to switch to a plastic-free, completely sustainable paper cup.

CONTACT

ANDREA KOVACS

SALES IN EUROPE

+36 20 345 2483

 

KOVACS.ANDREA@WECUP.HU

ANDRAS UGRIN

SALES IN HUNGARY

+36 70 386 0801

 

UGRIN.ANDRAS@WECUP.HU