An eye-catching plastic-coated paper cup has been developed by international paper manufacturer Iggesund Paperboard (Iggesund / Sweden; www.iggesund.com). The elegant-looking cups, which can be embossed with a pattern or brand name on the outer layer, also have a reduced environmental impact compared with their plastic counterparts, the company said.

Anna Adler, who headed the project for market communications at Iggesund, explained: “For the cup’s inside we chose Invercote coated with PE and for the outside we used Aluvision, which is Invercote extrusion coated with a thin layer of aluminium foil plus PE on top of the foil.” Invercote is the company’s multilayered Solid Bleached Board (SBB).

Printed in metallic orange, and with an embossed design and brand name, the cups have a high shine and make a striking visual impression. Iggesund believes that the product’s high level of elegance and lower carbon footprint compared with competing materials, such as plastic or PS foam, will bring a renaissance for paperboard-based cups. Commented Adler: “A cup made of PE-coated Invercote has a carbon footprint that is scarcely a quarter the size of the one left by the same cup made of plastic – just comparing the weight of the materials used. If you add the existence of efficient recycling systems and the fact that the stored bioenergy can finally be recovered, paperboard is an outstanding choice of material.”

Iggesund is anticipating long-term business opportunities for the product, not least in the USA where some cities are trying to ban the use of PS foam materials in beverage cups and catering packs. Washington D.C. mayor Vincent C. Gray recently signed such a ban, due to come into effect in 2016 – see Plasteurope.com of 04.08.2014.