Around the globe manufacturers and brand owners must respond to current and pending environmental legislation and public policy.
Single-use packaging products face restrictions or taxation in various jurisdictions and markets and there is strong focus on recyclability, compostability and circularity.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and similar policies are being introduced to shift waste management costs partially or fully to producers and through the supply chain.
Huhtamaki's lower plastic coating solution
At Huhtamaki we are committed to creating new sustainable materials that are safe for food, perform well, and are recyclable or compostable.
We are offering lower plastic boards and coatings for paper hot and cold cups which deliver a reduction in the amount of Polyethylene (PE) used in the lining of the cups.
This is important because it enables Huhtamaki to achieve a minimum of 95% fiber content by product weight for hot and cold cups, or put another way, we are able to offer our customers products which contain less than 5% polymer content.
Our lower plastic products are highly pulpable and recyclable via existing waste-streams for paper cups.
Addressing 'plastic free' claims
There are claims in the market about 'plastic-free' products, in some cases supported by plastic-free labels. In many cases these products are manufactured using paperboard with an acrylic based aqueous dispersion coating barrier.
These dispersion coatings are considered as plastic according to the definition in the Single Use Plastic (SUP) Directive. They fall under the Single Use Plastic legislation and are required to carry the SUPD marking.
Huhtamaki’s lower plastic solutions for hot and cold cups typically uses less polymer than acrylic based aqueous dispersion coatings.
Summary
We are introducing lower plastic coated paper cups to be respectful of legislation and regulation which requires plastic reduction in packaging.
Huhtamaki’s solution for hot and cold cups uses less plastic than standard coated board and acrylic based aqueous dispersion coatings, which are considered to be plastic.
Lower plastic solutions enable Huhtamaki to achieve a minimum of 95% fiber content by product weight, or less than 5% polymer content.
We recommend being cautious of 'plastic-free' claims and verify their accuracy.
