Detpak RecycleMe™ System Completes The Paper Chain

The Detpak RecycleMe System provides recyclable cups alongside collection and guaranteed recycling logistics.

Since the ABC TV series War on Waste drew attention to the more than one billion coffee cups sent to landfill every year, consumers, cafés, and companies have taken large strides to reduce single-use cup waste.

One such company is Australian owned packaging manufacturer Detpak, which initiated a rollout of its RecycleMe System with customers in November 2018, providing a solution for takeaway cups. 

Detpak General Manager of Marketing and Innovation Tom Lunn says RecycleMe innovates coffee cup recycling in two ways.

“One, the cup itself has a unique lining which means it can be recycled in a normal paper recycling plant,” Tom tells BeanScene.

“Second, we’ve established a collection system with our [waste collection] partner Shred-X, which guarantees that every cup and lid collected gets recycled.”

Tom says working with Shred-X provides an extra level of reassurance to Detpak and its partners that RecycleMe is successful from end to end. 

“People are pleased to have an assurance and guarantee that cups collected are recycled,” Tom says. “They are keen to do the right thing and they want to understand how it works practically in a café.”

Detpak’s cups use a unique lining the paper recyclers can easily separate form the cup.

Tom says there is still some confusion over whether it is better to compost or recycle coffee cups.

“Compostable coffee cups need to go to a commercial composting facility in order to have effective conditions to break down, and most often are being sent to landfill. Whereas a cup that is recycled can live again and contribute to a circular economy,” he says. “The longer we keep materials at their highest value and use, the better.

“Composting still has a place, but we should be striving toward recycling as the ultimate solution.”

Detpak spent more than three years looking into new linings that it could use in its recyclable cups.

“We came across this coating out of the United States,” Tom says.

“The advantage is it can run through standard paper pulping equipment and doesn’t require any additional investment at the recycling plant.”

To ensure the cups do get recycled, Shred-X collects the cups and lids from specially designed collection points. The stations allow consumers to separate the cups, lids, and liquids at the time they are disposed to minimise contamination.

Shred-X shreds and delivers the cups straight to paper mills, where they are recycled into paper products.

“[Detpak] made a cup that is not only recyclable but can be blended in with our current collections,” Shred-X General Manager Van Karas says. 

Shred-X has a network of trucks across Australia, with more than 50,000 individual collection sites as part of their existing secure document destruction service.

“[Detpak] came to us, knowing our ability with logistics and the collection situation,” Van says. “We’re used to going into sites like where coffee is sold, so we’re able to get in there, collect the waste, and take it away without any hassle to the venue owner.”

Shred-X Sales Manager Renee Pryor says RecycleMe has seen a positive reaction, appreciating the transparency of the system.

“There has been a really positive response with people appreciating the chance to recycle their takeaway cup and lid, rather than have it end up in landfill,” Renee says.

The Detpak team with the staff of Queensland-based Tim Adams Specialty Coffee.

What’s more, Van says the system is easy to explain to consumers.

“You just have to look at the imagery – a cup being turned to paper – to understand that’s exactly what happens. [Consumers] learn that and ask how to get on board,” he says.

In February, RecycleMe received an endorsement from leading environmental foundation Planet Ark for its transparency and holistic thinking. 

“[The endorsement is] an extension of our guarantee,” Detpak’s Tom says. “People trust the brand and research of Planet Ark – and they’ve endorsed this system. It has also confirmed for us that what we’ve created is a valid solution.”

Planet Ark CEO Paul Klymenko says with RecycleMe, Detpak has thought of every link in the chain.

“It’s a genuinely transparent system that considers every element,” Paul says.

“As part of our endorsement, an independent audit occurs annually to ensure the recycling promise is met. When you take the effort of putting the cup in a collection station, you can be sure it’s going to a recycling plant to be turned into new paper, or plastic products in the case of the lids.”

Paul says in order to gain an exclusive Planet Ark endorsement, every detail must be considered.

“How will the product be separated? Where will the material go? Who are the commercial partners? It’s a question of seeing who is going to do all the bits in the chain and making sure there is no stone unturned,” he says.

Paul says systems like RecycleMe are important to maintain a sustainable industry.

“Think of all the effort that’s gone into making a coffee cup. Growing the tree, turning it into paper, using it once and throwing it in a hole in the ground seems ludicrous,” he says. “Capturing and keeping these resources in use for as long as possible is what creating a circular economy is about.”

Coffee roasters who have been early to support the RecycleMe movement include Veneziano Coffee Roasters, Seven Miles Coffee Roasters, Axil Coffee Roasters, Seven Seeds, Tim Adams Specialty Coffee, and Genovese Coffee. 

“There are lots of coffee and food service brands starting to adopt RecycleMe. The foothold is growing very quickly,” Detpak’s Tom says.

“The majority of coffee is actually consumed in business areas, so our next move is to introduce RecycleMe to big corporations, large banks, and institutions that have cafés in the vicinity.

“Then, we’re looking at closed environments like stadiums, and finally, we’ll be tackling public collection points.”

Planet Ark’s Paul says collaboration with the RecycleMe System will help it reach its full potential.

“A system like this is only successful if there’s lots of collection points. People who decide that are cafés, roasters, and corporations implementing it,” he says. 

Huntington Beach, Seal Beach surfers offer alternatives to food-package waste

The four Surfrider pals have developed a line of eco-friendly cups, straws, box and utensils.

Like many beachgoers, Shane Coons and three surfing pals picked up trash during visits. But unlike many, they didn’t walk away satisfied they’ve done enough.

By the spring of 2018, they were plotting, after surf sessions, to make a greener Southern California — and one with bluer waves.

Those plastic straws? The four now manufacture straws that are 100% paper. Plastic-lined coffee cups? Theirs have half as much plastic and can be recycled. Plastic sippy cup lids for coffee? They have “butterfly” cups with self-contained spill-free tops you can drink from.

Their company, 4 blue waves, incorporated in May 2018 and has quickly developed a full line of green — or at least greener — products, including fast food containers, compostable wooden utensils and reusable bamboo plates.

Now it’s a matter helping consumers and retailers catch up with the transition to more environmentally friendly single-use containers, utensils, cups and straws. At beach cleanups, 75% of the trash are food and beverage related, Coons said in a post-surf interview at a Bolsa Chica State Beach snack bar patio.

“We’re on the front edge of the wave,” he said. “Awareness is growing. … There’s a great need to make progress in the food and restaurant industry, and there’s a lot of technology that’s not being utilized.”

The company’s marquee product — the recyclable cup with less plastic content — can be found in some two dozen coffee shops and cafes throughout Southern California so far. Among other possible users is SoFi Stadium — the future home of Rams and Chargers — with a meeting scheduled to discuss the possibility later this month.

The cups are more common in the United Kingdom, where Coca Cola is using them, and Australia. But Coons and company expect that trend of state and local laws limiting the use of food-related plastics will buoy demand in Southern California.

“It’s a fully viable technology that is in use elsewhere,” Coons said. “What we’re trying to do is get it to catch on here.”

‘The passion I wanted’

Coons, a 48-year-old Seal Beach business attorney, had been looking for environment-friendly business clients in early 2018 when he attended the first Rising Tide Summit in San Pedro. The now-annual conference attracts environmental activists and green businesses with a particular focus on the ocean.

At the event, he met the owners of Newport Beach-based Smart Planet Technologies, which doesn’t make the recyclable cup but holds the patent for it and helps those interested in manufacturing the product. That started the ball rolling.

He then recruited three fellow Surfrider Foundation activists: Huntington Beach’s Laurie Hammond, Tony Soriano and a third man who asked not to be named to avoid conflicts with the boss at his day job. The four, who all continue at their primary workplaces, have a combined 40 years of volunteering for Surfrider.

“I was looking for people with the talent and the passion I wanted to work with, as well as sales and organizational skills,” Coons said from a stool outside the Bolsa Chica snack bar, high clouds wafting through the skies while a pair of surfers made their way across the sand. The unnamed co-founder was also on hand after having surfed with Coons earlier.

The four have no employees — any collecting of cups from their clients’ shops for recycling is done by them, for now. The self-funded startup hopes to break even next year and allow all four to begin working full time for the company. Right now, Coons is putting in the lion’s share of work, which he estimates at 60 hours a week.

Obstacles, goals

The 158 million single-use coffee cups used and discarded in the U.S. each day are enough to fill 500 football fields 10-feet high, according to Coons. That’s nearly 58 billion cups a year — if set end to end, enough to go around the Earth 147 times.

With Asia severely curtailing its import of recyclables in recent years, California — like much of the country — finds itself with inadequate infrastructure to process recyclables. As a result, much of it is ending up in landfills.

While many of the 4 blue waves cups suffer the same fate, Coons points out that at least they cut in half the plastic content that will linger in landfills. While the cups can be recycled — and many are — the company cannot officially market them as recyclable unless it is recycling at least 60%, a target Coons hopes to hit within two years.

First, the company needs to win more cooperation from clients’ shops in segregating the cups. And it needs to set up a more formal collection system to get the cups to the specialized recycling centers in Santa Ana and Downey that handle the material.

Coons is also hoping to get more and bigger venues, places where people typically do not take the cups “to go,” like movie theaters, stadiums, resorts, amusement parks and colleges.

While they’re working with a company developing a fully biodegradable cup that can hold hot liquids, Coons and his colleagues are nonetheless eager to promote products using existing technology.

“We don’t want the perfect to stand in the way of the good,” Coons said, glancing at the nearby waves rolling in.

As for the other products, straws are the next biggest seller. A couple dozen cafes and shops are using them now and the company is on talks with other potential users. The company’s paper straws informally tested by the Southern California News Group sat in water for nearly an hour before the first sign of softening. While the cups cost a couple pennies more than their traditional counterparts, the straws cost about twice as much as their market rivals, Coons said.

The cups and straws are among the company’s products manufactured in China, with the company preparing to move those operations to Southern California next year.

Meanwhile, Coons eyes drift back to the ocean. The late morning breeze is light, and a combination of southwest and northwest swells is producing alluring peaks.

“Maybe we need to paddle back out.”

Replenysh to support closed-loop collections of reCUP® recyclable paper cups for Orange and Los Angeles Counties in California

Recycling specialist’s platform enables simple and rewarding closed-loop collection of breakthrough paper cups engineered for recycling

Newport Beach, CA, July 28th, 2017– Replenysh announces that it will be adding reCUP to the materials in its closed-loop collection ecosystem.

Coffeehouses and other retail locations in Orange and Los Angeles counties that use reCUP paper cups may schedule a pickup with Replenysh to have them brought directly to a recycling facility to get responsibly recycled.  

Traditionally, paper cups have been coated on the interior with polyethylene or other plastics, to form the cup and hold liquid contents. However, this has made paper cups difficult to recycle in standard paper recycling processes. It is estimated that over 15 billion paper coffee cups wind up in U.S. landfills annually.  

The reCUP is a paper coffee cup engineered for recyclability, with a coating that allows the cup to be repulped efficiently in traditional paper recycling systems. This makes the reCUP valuable to the recycling industry – a breakthrough that can ultimately solve the global problem of paper cups in landfills.  

While traditional curbside recyclers have yet to put the processes in place to distinguish the reCUP from other paper cups, the reCUP can be collected separately through the Replenysh platform of haulers and recyclers to ensure that it is recycled into new paperboard packaging.  

To learn more about Replenysh and opportunities to build the future of recycling as a retailer, driver or ambassador, please visit replenysh.com.  

To purchase the reCUP, the first commercially-available paper cup engineered for recycling, and show your beverage customers that you care about the environment, visit www.recup.earth.  

The reCUP is designed by Smart Planet Technologies of Newport Beach, California.

Smart Planet releases EU specification for reCUP recyclable paper cup

Smart Planet Technologies, the developer of the reCUP recyclable paper cup, has released the reCUP European Union (EU) specification. Therefore, sales and production can begin throughout the EU area providing the marketplace with a paper cup engineered for recyclability in the general recycling stream using existing recycling infrastructure.  A study in 2016 estimated that only 1 in 400 cups were recycled out of the 2.5 billion used annually in the UK. The paper cups were rarely being recycled due to the difficulty for paper recyclers in processing the interior polyethylene liner. The reCUP has an interior coating engineered to be fully processable in traditional paper recycling systems, making paper cups a valuable material to collect and recycle.   The reCUP is commercially-available in the US, however, additional migration compliance standards are required in the EU. The UK cup specification has two approaches to resolve the issue:   • The first approach is a co-extrusion of a combined layer with the surface on the inside of the cup to have minimal calcium carbonate, at a level acceptable for the migration test, while having sufficient calcium carbonate within the rest of the coating to maintain recyclability.   • The second approach uses an outer surface coating provided by Henkel Corporation. Henkel’s coating reduces the surface exposure of calcium carbonate, to an acceptable level, while also maintaining cup recyclability.   The reCUP will be used in the UK marketplace in an upcoming pilot with collection scheme organized by Simply Cups and recycled paper mill Lenzing Papier. The cups will be collected and recycled into new paper properly completing the entire cycle.   Shortly thereafter, the reCUP will be commercially available in the UK, manufactured by CupPrint at www.cupprint.ie For inquiries in the use of paperboards with EarthCoating, please contact Smart Planet through www.SmartPlanetTech.com or www.recup.earth   About Smart Planet Technologies, Inc. Smart Planet Technologies is a materials engineering company focused on advancements in sustainability for the packaging industry. Through innovation, our technologies are focused to conserve precious natural resources and provide high quality, environmental alternatives to a wide variety of rigid, flexible, barrier liners, and other packaging applications.

Detpak announces license agreement with Smart Planet Technologies to offer recyclable paper cup

New paper cup technology will provide Australian and New Zealand markets with paper cup engineered to be recyclable in standard paper recycling systems   Brompton, SA, Australia – June 23, 2017 – Detpak, a brand and division of the Detmold Group, a leading manufacturer of paper cups, has licensed the EarthCoating paper cup coating technology, and will introduce cups under the “RecycleMe” brand in the Australian and New Zealand markets to further address the issue of the lack of paper cup recycling.   Detpak plans to announce a General Availability date of the RecycleMe paper cup shortly. The RecycleMe cup will be available for order at http://www.detpak.com   Traditionally, paper cups are coated with polyethylene and other polymers to seal the cup and hold the liquid contents. However, these plastic coatings are incompatible with traditional paper recycling systems, and therefore recyclers typically sort paper cups from waste and recycling collection, and divert the cups to landfill. As reported on the ABC Television’s War on Waste show, over one billion cups are diverted to landfill in Australia, annually.   The RecycleMe cup is engineered to be fully processable by standard recycling systems, allowing for the paper materials to be recovered efficiently and economically to be reused in premium recycled paper packaging. Therefore, the RecycleMe cup provides a technology with the potential to address the recycling of all paper cups into new recycled paperboards, which can be considered the optimal solution.   About Detpak Detpak, a division of the Detmold Group, is a leading packaging manufacturer in Australasia and globally as we offer an extensive range of paper and board packaging solutions including cups, lids, cartons, bags, napkins, trays and clams. Our world class design and printing services have earned us a reputation as a provider of high quality, custom printed packaging solutions. Detpak has brought many leading product innovations to the market, including Ripple-Wrap™, the insulated hot cup which continues to set the benchmark within the coffee-to-go market, food pails with wire handles, and cartons and bags with windows designed to optimise the presentation of food.   About Smart Planet Technologies Smart Planet Technologies is a materials R&D company focused on sustainability for the packaging industry. Through innovation, our technologies are focused to conserve precious natural resources and provide high quality, environmental alternatives to a wide variety of rigid, flexible and corrugated packaging applications.