Fast-food restaurants, event organisers, and airlines are increasingly adopting reusable or recyclable packaging alternatives to keep up with growing legislative pressure and customers’ environmental awareness. TripleW and Sulapac are among those presenting a solution, which is a biobased cup that is both reusable and can be used in a closed-loop recycling system, continuously serving as raw material.
Sulapac
TripleW partners Sulapac to help eliminate single-use plastics.
The duo has collaborated on a closed-loop pilot that demonstrates that reusable cups made from Sulapac Solid, a 100% bio-based and biodegradable material, can be chemically recycled commercially. This upcycling system eliminates the need for fossil-based materials, aligns with the European Union’s circularity goals, and secures long-term cost-saving benefits.
“This is an important milestone for the EU’s Bioeconomy Strategy, we eliminate single-use plastics, we increase resource-efficiency by using biological resources, and our clients can benefit from going circular,” said Tal Shapira, CEO of TripleW.
Dr Heidi Peltola, Chief Product Officer at Sulapac, added, “Remarkably, one doesn’t have to choose between biobased or recyclable packaging – you can have both, also when it comes to reusables.”
About Sulapac’s reusable cups
Utilising the 100% biobased, dishwasher-proof Sulapac Solid material, the reusable cups have a ceramic-like appearance and offer enhanced durability. Boasting compatibility with standard plastic production processes, the cups are designed for repeated use in demanding environments (e.g., aeroplanes, cruise ships, and fast-food restaurants).
TripleW recycling process for Sulapac Solid cups
In the pilot, used Sulapac Solid cups were collected, ground, and broken down via hydrolysis into their building blocks, including lactic acid. Lactic acid can either be used in products or transformed back into a food-grade biopolymer. This energy-efficient, polymer-to-polymer recycling process allows the material to be reused repeatedly.
“Together with Sulapac, we’re showing that biobased and compostable materials like PLA-based compounds are not just sustainable alternatives – they can be truly circular,” said Shapira. “Our unique closed-loop model ensures every cup used on a plane or cruise ship can return as a new product, again and again. The chemical upcycling scaleup utilising the Sulapac cups resulted in full recovery of the lactic acid – building block of PLA.”
Looking ahead to the future
“This partnership is a tangible step toward a future where high-performance sustainable materials like Sulapac Solid circulate just like traditional plastics – but without the environmental burden,” said Peltola.
“Our approach is fully aligned with key European policies – from the Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan to the upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. It exemplifies how circular bioeconomy innovations can position Europe as a leader in achieving circularity, reinforce industrial competitiveness, and offer scalable alternatives to fossil-based packaging,” concludes Shapira.
