PLA Coated Board Cups FAQs
Q What
makes PLA coated board different from PE coated board
A In conventional paper cups
they are coated with PE (Polyethylene) derived from oil, to make board
waterproof. Cups coated in PLA (Polylatic acid) the plastic is derived from
plants, so both the board and the coating are derived from fully renewable
sources.
Q What % of a paper cup is represented by the coating
A The coating makes up less than 5% by weight
Q PLA has been used to make
plastic glasses for a while, but this can only be used for cold drinks, can PLA
coated cups be used for hot drinks
A The PLA used for paper cups
has been treated to enable it to withstand the temperature of hot drinks.
Q Will the coating on PLA cups
dissolve with hot coffee
A PLA does not dissolve with
water, it is broken down by microbes over time in industrial composting or
paper recycling plants.
Q Is PLA food safe
A Yes, The process used to
make this material starts with plant sugars and ends with a non‐toxic plastic
similar to other materials used to package food. It is FDA approved, and
although this application (coating paperboard) is relatively new, this material
is used extensively for packaging produce and other food items.
Q What kind of inks are used
on paper cups
A most paper cup manufactures
now use water based inks, and are food compliant
Q Can paper cups contain post
consumer recycled fibres
A Under legislation in most
countries, materials in contact with food have to be manufactured from virgin
material, as you will appreciate, when you put the cup to your lips, you need
to know where it has come from!!
Q Can PLA coated cups be
recycled
A Yes any paper cups can be recycled, the best route would be to return them to paper
mills, for fibre recovery. Energy recovery would be the next best
option, and finally industrial composting. The above do need to be done through
a recycling scheme like www.save-a-cup.co.uk a recycling scheme in the UK
Council / municipal composting is sometimes not allowed as they will not take
food packaging, this is a complicated issue and should be researched separately.
Q Can I recycle cups through
office paper recycling
A although a odd few cups
finding themselves in paper waste would probably not be a issue, most waste
paper recyclers will not take paper once contaminated with coffee cups, as most
paper ends up being hand sorted, and finding piles of mouldy paper cups in the
paper stream will cause problems.
Q What happens to PLA coated
cups in a landfill site
A A land fill site is designed
to stop anything rotting down, this is to prevent methane gases having a impact
on the atmosphere, as well as preventing leach aids reaching the water table,
so whether a PE coated cup, PLA coated cup or anything else, nothing degrades
in a land fill site.
Q If I send PLA cups to
landfill have I made a difference
A yes you have made a
difference, as PLA cups are from a renewable resource
Q How much difference will I
make using PLA cups
A You must take into account
the coating on a paper cup ( PLA or PE) is only 5% ( average) by weight, so is
a very small amount of waste.
Q Can I use paper cups to
reduce my companies impact on the environment
Yes 1) get your paper cups
recycled - fibre recovery will be best
2)
print a environmental message on the cup, encouraging employees to recycle and
meet company targets "it’s your world - make it better" See Greencups
Q Can I get a PLA lid
A At this time, PLA lids are
not possible, but a huge amount of research is being done, and should be
available at some time.
Q Where can I find out more
about PLA
A Please visit the nature works web
site
Q Why does PLA coated cups
cost more
A The production of PLA coated
board is much slower and more problematic than making PE coated board,
converting PLA coated board into cups requires machines to be adapted, and
making the cups is much more difficult.
Q Am I making a difference
A Just by asking the question,
and thinking about the environment, it starts the process, each person /
business has to pick a route that fits with their financial and environmental
goals, and that will be different for each person / company. There is no one
route for everybody.