Eco Friendly Coffee Cups: Ecoffee Cup with PLA Material

Premier Brands have recently added a brand-new Ecoffee Cup range made with PLA (Polylactic Acid) material. The new Ecoffee Cup range is free from bamboo, melamine and M-F resin and made from plant-based renewable resources such as sugar beet starch and corn.

We are so excited to be stocking these new products and doing our part in the fight against single-use plastics, that we wanted to tell you more about them! This article examines the PLA material, the latest products, and how they compare against single-use cups.

What is the new PLA (Polylactic Acid) material?

Several decades ago, an alternative to synthetic plastic was found – polylactide. This bioplastic is known as polylactic acid or PLA, a material with lactic acid polymer. PLA is created from renewable plant-based materials such as sugar beet, corn and potato starches. It is a pure, 100% renewable material.

What’s wrong with using single-use cups?

The following are some alarming statistics:

• Half a trillion single-use cups are made globally each year; over 70 for every person on the planet
• Most single-use “paper” cups contain polyurethane coating, making recycling difficult and rare. Less than 2% are recycled, and 98% end up in landfill
• Over 40% of plastic created annually is for single-use items
• Four billion trees, or 35% of trees felled, are used for paper
• Most single-use cups contain 0% recycled material
• A single-use cup’s life is less than 10 minutes
• Compostable single-use cups require a separate waste stream
• It takes 8 uses for a reusable to have a lower CO2 impact
• Globally, people consume nearly 300 million tonnes of paper each year; 70% are from native forests, not plantations or recycling
• Annual consumer waste has increased more than tenfold from 40kg in the 1950s to 560kg of waste per person now

Did you know that ‘paper cups’ aren’t made of paper?

Even though they look harmless, most takeaway cups are also covered with a thin layer of plastic, which prevents the cups from collapsing or leaking. Due to this component structure, paper cups are almost impossible to recycle, and they will decompose like plastic over several hundred years. So, it turns out that the word “paper” in the case of cups is greenwashing and has nothing to do with ecology.

A small step towards a more sustainable lifestyle and conscious consumption could be the purchase of an eco-friendly coffee cup. This choice is not only in favour of the consumer. Coffee shops are also happy with this trend since disposable tableware is a constant headache and an added expense for the owners.

Ecoffee Cup’s reusable coffee cups are focused on bringing you a product that not only helps reduce disposable cups from entering landfill but are made using 100% renewable, plant-based materials such as corn, sugar beet and potato starches. With so many reusable cups on the market, Ecoffee Cup is unique by developing its coffee cups out of eco-friendly materials. So, not only are you being sustainable by choosing to reuse, but you are also choosing a cup that is good for our planet.

In short, we’re facing a global pollution crisis and the new Ecoffee Cup with PLA material is one of many solutions provided to tackle this problem!

The new Ecoffee Cup product features

• Made from renewable resources
• Fully traceable, single-origin raw material
• European Food safe compliant 2023
• Flavour taint-free with no aftertaste
• Contains 0% melamine, BPS & BPA
• No animal or animal-derived ingredients, making Ecoffee Cup suitable for vegans
• Durable and long-lasting
• Lower C02 in manufacture than stainless steel, glass or injection moulded plastic
• Commercially compostable, or recyclable via Ecoffee Cup’s free closed-loop service
• Re-sealable ‘no-drip’ lid
• Suitable for daily use to +100˚C
• Dishwasher safe
• Suitable for microwave reheating

Benefits of the new eco-friendly Ecoffee Cup

Conscious Consumption – switching to Ecoffee Cup is the first step towards an eco-friendly lifestyle. Throwing away disposable cups isn’t always easy because litter bins aren’t always nearby.

Economy – Disposable cups cost retailers and coffee shops money. The expense of these cups is passed on to customers, but when customers bring their own that reduces the need, and the resulting cost of purchasing single-use cups. Bringing a reusable cup to a coffee shop can even get you a discount.

Convenience – A personally branded Ecoffee Cup can be a practical accessory and a style statement.

Aesthetics – A coffee shop may not always offer beautiful cups that will please the eye. Nowadays, drinking coffee is becoming a part of modern culture. Instagram is often filled with cute photos of people drinking cappuccinos and lattes in the morning. No one wants a plain cup to ruin the picture when there is an opportunity to own a branded reusable cup.

Brand it your way!

Premier Brands can help businesses promote their brand by printing their company logo and brand messaging on the cups. Depending on your client’s preferences, the actual cup, or the silicone band of the Ecoffee cup product can be printed in a single colour. The shiny quality and smooth finish of the new Ecoffee Cup make it ideal for printing. Choose the perfect colour, add the logo, and brand messaging to make Ecoffee Cup truly stand out from the crowd.

Click on any of the three sizes above and then click the “Request Mock-up” tab below the product description for a mock-up of your new Ecoffee Cup that can be shared with your team.

For more information on the products we offer, or for guidance on branding methods, please get in touch. Our branding experts will be happy to discuss product ideas for your clients in more detail. You can email us at sales@premier-brands.co.uk or call us directly on 01273 512512. Alternatively, we will respond quickly to any messages that are submitted through our contact form.