Corn Cup Recycling

At rock concerts and music festivals, sports events such as top football matches or large and small outdoor events in general, there is growing demand for the recycling system relating to PLA cups based on corn starch.

Circular Solutions

Classical recycling involves reprocessing discarded recyclable materials into a new product. The original product is "destroyed", but the recovered recyclable material can be used to make new products.

RAW MATERIAL: PLA (polylactide) is a material made from renewable raw materials (corn starch) and is completely biodegradable. In appearance the cups are nearly indistinguishable from conventional plastic cups.

RETURN: The only condition is that the used cups are "empty of residues". Cups are considered to be completely empty when they have been used to the full.

COLLECTION BY TYPE: A deposit on cups has proven to be very effective. It ensures that the used containers are returned to the place where they were put into circulation when full (prevention of litter). Organised cup return points can serve as an alternative.

COLLECTION: The used cups are taken back in the same way as they were delivered, i.e. in cartons – and this is done in an environmentally friendly round-trip system (no unnecessary CO₂ emissions are generated).

RECYCLING: Logistically efficient transport to a recycling centre, where final sorting (to eliminate all impurities) and cleaning can take place.

FINAL PRODUCT: The recovered PLA granulate can be re-used to produce other organically based plastics.

Solutions CONTACT PERSON

Christoph Stahlhacke, PAPSTAR Solutions GmbH