Smart Planet releases EU specification for reCUP recyclable paper cup

Smart Planet Technologies, the developer of the reCUP recyclable paper cup, has released the reCUP European Union (EU) specification. Therefore, sales and production can begin throughout the EU area providing the marketplace with a paper cup engineered for recyclability in the general recycling stream using existing recycling infrastructure.  A study in 2016 estimated that only 1 in 400 cups were recycled out of the 2.5 billion used annually in the UK. The paper cups were rarely being recycled due to the difficulty for paper recyclers in processing the interior polyethylene liner. The reCUP has an interior coating engineered to be fully processable in traditional paper recycling systems, making paper cups a valuable material to collect and recycle.   The reCUP is commercially-available in the US, however, additional migration compliance standards are required in the EU. The UK cup specification has two approaches to resolve the issue:   • The first approach is a co-extrusion of a combined layer with the surface on the inside of the cup to have minimal calcium carbonate, at a level acceptable for the migration test, while having sufficient calcium carbonate within the rest of the coating to maintain recyclability.   • The second approach uses an outer surface coating provided by Henkel Corporation. Henkel’s coating reduces the surface exposure of calcium carbonate, to an acceptable level, while also maintaining cup recyclability.   The reCUP will be used in the UK marketplace in an upcoming pilot with collection scheme organized by Simply Cups and recycled paper mill Lenzing Papier. The cups will be collected and recycled into new paper properly completing the entire cycle.   Shortly thereafter, the reCUP will be commercially available in the UK, manufactured by CupPrint at www.cupprint.ie For inquiries in the use of paperboards with EarthCoating, please contact Smart Planet through www.SmartPlanetTech.com or www.recup.earth   About Smart Planet Technologies, Inc. Smart Planet Technologies is a materials engineering company focused on advancements in sustainability for the packaging industry. Through innovation, our technologies are focused to conserve precious natural resources and provide high quality, environmental alternatives to a wide variety of rigid, flexible, barrier liners, and other packaging applications.