Lavazza develops fully-recyclable paper cup for vending

Lavazza Professional has developed a new paper cup which can be recycled with normal paper waste, reducing the environmental impact of peripherals. The new Klix Eco Cup will be available in Lavazza’s Klix vending machines from February 2020, starting with the company’s ‘most popular drinks’.

Designed for businesses who are looking for an alternative to plastic cups, the Klix Eco Cup is manufactured using paper sourced from sustainably managed forests, accredited by PEFC and can be recycled up to seven times.

Many paper cups are difficult to recycle and are usually sent to landfill as they ordinarily include a Polyethylene (PE) lining which is difficult to process and recycle. However, Lavazza claims that the Klix Eco Cup uses a patented water-based dispersion barrier board developed by Kotkamills, and this enables the cups to be recycled with normal paper waste.

According to The House of Commons – Environmental Audit Committee, around 2.5 billion coffee cups are used and thrown away in the UK each year, but less than 1-in-400 are recycled.

Commenting on the release of the new cup, Ashley Weller, UK market director at Lavazza Professional UK said: “Calls for a reduction in single-use plastic for food and drink containers increased our commitment to offering our customers and consumers a revolutionary solution to meet their needs. Klix Eco Cup marks another step forward in our mission to deliver the most sustainable drinks vending solutions in the world.

“One of the greatest challenges was developing a cup that meets our high expectations for quality and recyclability whilst ensuring consumers enjoy a great taste experience.

“Our commitment is clear but we hope that other businesses will also increasingly play an active role, because strength is in numbers. We encourage the big players in the market to explore similar solutions in order to boost the rate of recycling for this type of cup”.