We always look to balance sustainability and quality with cost – in that order. If one only focuses on the lowest price, compromise must be made with either quality or sustainability or both. All BioPak paper cups are made from paperboard sourced from managed plantations, not old growth or protected forests. We use the heaviest weight liquid packaging paper board as it ensures the final product has superior strength, lid fit and insulation.
To waterproof our cups we use a thin bioplastic coating. This bioplastic called ‘Ingeo’ is made from corn starch, an annually renewable resource – plants.
The cups are produced in our production facility in Taiwan using high speed automated production equipment. Our facility is certified to ISO 22000 (food safety) and ISO 90001 (quality standards) ISO 14001 (environmental) and produces over 100 million cups per month.
There are 5 sizes of BioCups available – 4oz, 8oz, 12oz, 16oz and 20oz. We are currently tooling up to launch a 6oz cup within the next 3 months.
BioCups and lids are certified compostable and can be composted in areas where commercial composting facilities exists; this enables the effective diversion of organic waste from landfill.
Whilst BioCups can be recycled unfortunately there are very few paper recyclers in Australia or New Zealand who will accept any paper cups in their facilities. We passionately support organics recycling and proactively work with waste management organizations and commercial composters in order to divert our products from landfill.
Where we improve on conventional plastic lined cups from the outset is that they are certified carbon neutral. We have the CO2 emissions associated with the production, distribution and disposal of all our products independently audited. We then offset these emissions through the purchase of carbon credits.
In Australia and New Zealand over 1.5 billion paper cups are disposed of each year. The benefits of converting from a regular plastic lined coffee cup and plastic lid to a plant-based BioCup will result in:
The greenhouse gas savings equivalent to:
- Driving a new vehicle for 58,443,450 km
- 281,153 tree seedlings being grown for 10 years
The fossil fuel savings equivalent to:
- 41,835 barrels of oil per year
- Electricity consumed for 1 month by 85,244 households
