At the beginning of May, a new version of Starbucks iconic white cup was launched in Europe. The new hot cup and its lid are home compostable and widely recyclable. The cup is a result of a collaboration between Starbucks EMEA, Transcend Packaging, Qwarzo® and Metsä Board.
An extensive R&D effort and significant innovations in the cup manufacturing process have culminated in the replacement of the cup’s plastic lining with a mineral-based coating. The single-use plastic lids have also been replaced with fiber alternatives, coated with the same mineral-based material.
The new cup is created using Metsä Board’s paperboard together with a mineral-based coating developed by Qwarzo® in Italy. Both the mineral-based coating as well as the paperboard hold DIN CERTCO certification for home compostability. The cup was designed and constructed at Transcend’s factory, located in Wales.
The new hot cup and lid solution will gradually be rolled out across select European markets this year; including Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Hungary, before arriving in the UK and Ireland later this year.
Duncan Moir, President, Starbucks EMEA: “Our hot cup solution is the first introduction of this emerging technology applied to a coffee cup at scale. Starbucks new hot cup in Europe provides a widely recyclable and home compostable alternative for when customers don’t have a reusable cup. I am really proud of the team that has worked to develop this innovative solution and I am so excited to see it in the hands of our customers in Europe as they enjoy their coffee. We are keen to learn more from this rollout and remain focused on introducing more sustainable innovations to meet the shifting requirements of markets worldwide.”
"This is a true masterpiece of collaboration – both within Metsä Board and with external partners. The openness of all parties involved has enabled the understanding of common goals and the clear definition of roles and responsibilities, resulting in a project that will revolutionize the entire industry," says Matt Boyle, Sales Director at Metsä Board, UK and Ireland.
"Metsä Board's 360 Services, including Sustainability and R&D Services were a powerful way to engage in in-depth discussions with all the parties to understand and solve challenges as they arose during the development phase," says Hélène Lehtinen, Director, Barrier Development, at Metsä Board.
