FiXX reCup®

We are all becoming more and more conscious of how our choices and actions can impact the planet.  Compostable / Recyclable / Environmentally-friendly / Sustainable / Reusable / Disposable / Single Use, are all terms getting tossed about more and more in the world of packaging.

When choosing a partner for the production of our newly designed Take-Away cups, we were keen to find a cup that not only did the job it was designed for i.e.” carry coffee safely and stylishly while showcasing the brand” but also be properly handled by the waste processing systems available where the majority of our Take-Away cups are used, for us, that is Ireland.

What a bonus it was to find an Irish company to provide us with the solution. Based in the west of Ireland, CupPrint offered a few options for us to research and decide upon.  We settled on their reCup® model as the choice that made sense to us.  reCup® suits how waste is actually collected and processed in Ireland, using the commercial facilities currently available.

Quite simply, traditional paper cups are not created to be recycled and recyclers are not set up to process them. These cups are just too difficult to run through their existing paper recycling equipment due to a 100% polyethene (plastic) coating on the inside of the cup.  Many of the compostable cups out there can only decompose under certain specific waste management conditions, some of which are not currently available to us in Ireland. Despite what it says on many cups, we need to have the waste disposable systems in place to process them, otherwise, it is a waste (excuse the inevitable pun !!).

ReCup® is a revolutionary technology in production since October 2017.  The reCup®  works and feels the same as traditional cups with the only exception being that they do not use PE (Polyethylene) coating on the inside of the cup.  Instead of 100% plastic, reCUP's are made using EarthCoating® which is a highly mineralized resin alternative coating for paper-based packaging that’s engineered for recyclability and provides a superior barrier, heat seal and print performance.

reCup® is the first commercially available paper cup that’s made from materials engineered to be easily recycled through existing paper recycling equipment. The first step to getting paper cups recycled as the norm is to make paper cups that are worth recycling and therefore profitable to recycle. This, in our humble opinion, is a key step for the process to become mainstream.   

Our cups and lids will be compatible with regular recycling bins, which consumers will be familiar with in their home or workplace. Designed best for recycling, however, if one does makes its way into the brown bin then it will be ok, as like untreated paper it will eventually decompose.

We created our own trademarked unique designs on each cup size. Yes we want to be stylish but we are also practical; having non - identical designs helps busy baristas manage busy take-out queues as they select cups for different size drinks.

Anne