At Limepack, we’re very happy to be able to offer what is without a doubt the most sustainable option available on the market right now when it comes to paper cups: plastic-free paper cups. Unlike standard paper cups, which are usually produced with a plastic layer, these plastic-free paper cups are not only fully degradable in nature but are also fully recyclable.

Production of plastic-free paper cups

But how exactly are these plastic-free paper cups produced? Let’s dive into it together in this blogpost, where we’ll go through the whole process and go into depth with which materials are used in the production of them!

Raw material is used for plastic-free paper cups

A smart, innovative and 100% recyclable idea is now being used to create paper cups without the usual plastic layer. The primary problem with producing plastic-free paper cups has always been to make a coating that was able to contain liquids, which is why plastic has been used as the primary coating. But here’s where the latest innovative development within paper cups comes in:

Instead of producing them with a plastic layer, a water-based dispersion coating is now being used to form an effective barrier inside the cups to make them able to contain liquids. The main resource for the plastic-free paper cups is pulp from trees, which is mixed with chemicals and then put into a water fuse together to form a thin layer. When the water is dried off, the layer that is sticking to the pulp will then form a barrier that is able to contain liquids. This layer can contain liquids since the pulp is newly produced and doesn’t come from any recycled materials.

If you’re interested in knowing more about how a tree becomes pulp to finally be made into paper cups, you can read more about the process here.

Process of chemi-thermomechanical wood pulp

The middle layer of the paper cup is made with chemi-thermomechanical pulp which helps hold together the other layers which are created from water-based dispersion. Below, I would like to go into detail with how chemi-thermomechanical wood pulp is created.

Before the wood chips are converted into pulp, they are sent through cleaning, steaming, and drying so they can be able to absorb the chemicals. Afterwards, the pulp is set to be refined before it starts bleaching and the rest of the chemicals are applied. When the pulp has passed all important stages, it is finally set to get dried in a wind tunnel with 230 Celsius.

Finalizing and producing the product

As described in the above two sections, the primary invention within the plastic-free paper cups is the coating itself. The process of producing them is still the same as with the normal paper cups, which is why the plastic-free paper cups can therefore be produced by all paper cup manufacturers. If you’re interested in how paper cups are produced, you can read more about it in this blogpost.

Usage of the product

The plastic-free paper cups are like normal paper cups mainly used by cafes, restaurants, and hotels. They can be used in all the same occasions as standard paper cups, since they are just as good at containing both cold and hot liquids. The plastic-free paper cups have the same restrictions regarding alcohol as normal paper cups, which means they cannot contain strong alcohol and should not contain drinks with more than 5% alcohol. Paper cup manufacturers specify that the cups can be used to serve beer without foaming too much, which is usually a problem.