CUPSZ only uses high-quality cardboard, suitable for the production of coffee cups and bowls. Not all cardboards are suitable! The cardboard used by CUPSZ is specially composed of long paper fibers. These fibers give the cups or bowls a solid body and ensure a nice bending of the rim.

The cardboard is produced in Sweden.

Once the trees have been cut down, they are transported to the cardboard factory, where 2 or 3 new trees are planted for every tree cut down.

Yes, CUPSZ cardboard coffee cups are sustainable! Our cups are produced 100% energy-neutral in our own production facility in the Netherlands. In addition, CUPSZ is FSC® certified, the quality mark for sustainable forestry. Read more about the production of sustainable coffee cups here.

No, cardboard coffee cups are unfortunately not biodegradable. That's because the coating is a thin film of plastic that cannot be converted into compost.

But did you know that biodegradable cups don't actually exist, as you might think?

Yes, CUPSZ only uses food-safe products that are necessary for the production of cups and bowls. For example, we use food-approved toner and Low Migration UV inks. These toner and inks meet the highest standards in food safety. The test results are recorded in a migration report. This report is available on request.

Yes, coffee cups can be recycled very well. Because the PE is a thin film layer (coating), it can be easily removed from the cardboard. For this purpose, the cups must be collected separately. After collection, the PE is separated from the cardboard. The PE is reused in other plastics and the cardboard, for example, for the paper of newspapers or magazines. Please note: used coffee cups are not allowed in the waste paper!

Yes, there are alternative cartons and coatings available for coffee cup production. When choosing raw materials, CUPSZ looks at the CO2 emissions released during the production of cardboard. Cardboard with PE has been proven to have lower emissions than other types of cardboard and coatings.

The cardboard we use contains long fibers that provide great flexibility and stiffness. The paper cup must have a curled edge (flexibility) but still feel sturdy when you grip the cup (stiffness). Only then is the cardboard suitable for making a cup. We consciously choose not to use recycled cardboard. When you recycle cardboard, the fibers become shorter. This ultimately means that you have to use more cardboard.

Alternatives to PE are PLA and water-based coating.

No, no coffee cups are allowed in the waste paper. This contaminates the waste stream of waste paper. If you use enough coffee cups, it makes sense to collect them separately. There are suppliers in the Netherlands and Belgium who recycle coffee cups. Do you not collect the coffee cups separately? Then throw them away with the residual waste. The cups are then burned.

CUPSZ continues to look for cardboard for coffee cups that can be disposed of as waste paper. After all, it is one of the waste streams that can be easily recycled.