What are takeaway coffee cups made from?
Takeaway coffee cups may appear to be paper products, but most are made from several materials, each performing a different function. Paperboard gives the cup its structure, a thin barrier lining or coating prevents liquid from soaking into the paper — because without some form of plastic, water resistance is not possible. Understanding these components can help you choose a cup that aligns with your service needs, sourcing and End of Life commitments.
A coffee cup is really the result of a composite package: predominantly paperboard, with another material performing the barrier function. The amount and construction of the paperboard can also differ between cups. Single-wall cups use one wall of paperboard, while double-wall cups are as the name would suggest — a double layer of paperboard for greater insulation. If you're deciding between single or double wall;
READ: A guide to single-wall vs double-wall coffee cups
What are coffee cup linings made from?
The lining is materially less and somewhat invisible when you consider the paperboard, but it's important both to how the cup performs and what can happen to it after use.
Two materials commonly used as barrier linings are polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA). There are also alternative barrier technologies, including aqueous coatings and PHA films, which we’ll also discuss coatings separately.
PE linings
Polyethylene is a conventional fossil-fuel-derived plastic used as a barrier coating in the majority of takeaway paper cups. A thin PE layer makes the paperboard resistant to liquid, allowing it to hold a drink without the paper absorbing the contents. Because the finished cup combines paper fibre with plastic, however, it cannot be treated in the same way as uncoated paper or cardboard. Recycling requires specialised processing capable of separating and recovering the paper fibre from the plastic lining, and access to this infrastructure varies.
PLA linings
Polylactic acid (PLA), is a bioplastic that can be produced from renewable plant-derived feedstocks. Like PE, it can be applied as a thin barrier layer to paperboard to provide the liquid resistance achieving the functionality of a petrochemical derived lining.
Where PLA differs is its potential End of Life pathway. Paper cups with PLA linings that are certified to recognised industrial compostability standards, such as AS 4736, EN 13432 or ASTM D6400, can be processed in industrial composting facilities where those facilities accept certified compostable packaging. Where recovery and processing infrastructure exists, be accepted as inputs and processed with food scraps to create compost in industrial settings.
Aqueous coating
These water-based dispersions are applied to the paperboard to create a liquid-resistant barrier, and function as a pigment that is absorbed into the fibres when applied to the paper.
Aqueous coating technologies can use less polymeric material than conventional film laminations, although the amount and type of polymer used depends on the particular formulation and product. Water-based does not necessarily mean polymer-free or plastic-free. The composition of the coating needs to be considered when assessing claims about the finished cup.
PHA film
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a family of polyesters produced by microorganisms through fermentation. They can have material properties similar to conventional plastics such as PE and PP. Applied as a thin film, here PHA provides a protective barrier coating, maintaining moisture within the cup and has similar properties to those of petrochemical plastic polyethene (PE) films.
PHA-lined cups can be certified to recognised industrial compostability standards such as AS 4736, EN 13432 and ASTM D6400. Some PHA-lined products may also meet home-compostability requirements where the finished product has been independently tested and certified to an applicable home-compostability standard.
What about the paperboard?
While the barrier lining is important to a cup's performance and potential end-of-life, paperboard makes up the majority of the cup. How that fibre is sourced is therefore another consideration.
Our paper cups use FSC Mix certified paperboard, meaning the forest-based materials are sourced through the FSC system using a mix of FSC-certified material, recycled material and/or FSC-controlled wood. For more information on the certification, see the article below.
READ: What does FSC certification mean?
What do PLA-free, plastic-free and home compostable actually tell you?
When comparing takeaway cups, you may encounter claims including “PLA-free” and “plastic-free”. These terms aren't interchangeable.
PLA-free: This tells you that PLA isn't being used. It doesn't, by itself, describe everything used to create the cup's liquid resistant barrier. If there is no lining then there must be a coating or pigment.
Plastic-free: This claim needs to be considered alongside the definition or certification being used to substantiate the claim. Some certification schemes allow defined thresholds or measure particular forms of plastic content, so understanding the scope of the certification provides more information than the claim alone. The definition of what plastic is — relies on chemical structure rather than the origin of the raw materials.
Whether a material is considered a plastic relates to its chemical composition and structure, not simply whether its raw materials are fossil-derived or plant-derived. Terms such as bio-based, plant-based and plastic-free therefore don't necessarily mean the same thing.
When you're comparing paper cups, look for the evidence behind the claim: What is the barrier made from? Is the claim independently certified? What exactly does that certification cover?
What does certified compostable mean?
“Compostable” and “biodegradable” are often used interchangeably, but they don't mean the same thing. Compostability standards establish criteria and test methods for how a product behaves under specified composting conditions. Products certified under AS 4736, EN 13432 or ASTM D6400 have been tested against requirements for commercial composting facilities operating under controlled conditions.
Home compostability is a separate claim and requires different testing because a home compost typically operates under much lower temperatures and variable conditions. Only products certified under AS 5810, EN 13432 (under special process) are designed for commercial composting facilities operating under controlled conditions. We cover this subject matter in more detail below:
READ: What does certified compostable mean?
What are takeaway coffee cup lids made from?
Depending on the product, lids can be manufactured from conventional plastics, bioplastics or moulded fibre-based materials. It is for this reason that lid material consideration is important when ordering takeaway packaging.
Polypropylene (PP) is what the majority of takeaway cup lids are made from. PP lids are not recyclable.
Crystallised PLA (CPLA) is the bioplastic alternative. Heat and pressure are applied to PLA to improve heat resistance, making them suitable for hot drinks. They can be certified industrially compostable to AS 4736, EN 13432 and ASTM D6400.
Moulded fibre including those made from sugarcane offer another alternative. Some finished fibre lids can be certified for home compostability to standards such as AS 5810 or certification programmes such as TÜV Austria's OK compost HOME.
For more detail on lid compatibility and materials:
READ: A guide to takeaway coffee cup sizes and lid compatibility
Can takeaway coffee cups be recycled in New Zealand?
No. Takeaway coffee cups cannot currently go into household kerbside recycling in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Although the cup is predominantly paperboard, its barrier lining makes it a composite material. New Zealand's standardised kerbside system accepts clean paper and cardboard but excludes plastic-lined paper and cardboard, including takeaway coffee cups. A package looking or feeling predominantly like paper doesn't necessarily mean it belongs in the paper recycling stream.
There may be separate specialist recovery systems for materials that aren't accepted at kerbside, so disposal guidance should always reflect the collection service actually available.
Can compostable coffee cups go in the kerbside food scraps or FOGO bin?
Not through standard council food-scraps or FOGO collections in New Zealand. Current national guidance excludes compostable packaging from council-managed food scraps and food-and-garden-organics collections.
The Ministry for the Environment notes that compostable packaging requires specific processing conditions and that most facilities in Aotearoa aren't equipped to process it.
For a compostable cup to reach its intended end-of-life, there needs to be recovery — a collection system that accepts it and an appropriate processing facility at the other end that also accepts it.
This becomes particularly relevant in workplaces, schools, events and other non-residential closed-loop environments, where packaging is used and disposed of on site. Understanding the materials being used makes it possible to design collection systems around them, with appropriate bins, signage and communications.
This is important because organics collections might be an option, and if not that understanding is applied to prevent contamination of other material streams — for example paper and general recycling.
READ: How PWC is changing how waste is managed in the office
Choosing the right takeaway coffee cup
Materials are one part of choosing a takeaway paper cup. You'll also need to consider the drinks you're serving, cup capacity, whether single or double-wall construction is appropriate, compatible lids and the volume of packaging your business uses.
Once you know what you need, explore our takeaway coffee cup range online and request samples to test different options before ordering.
