Developing a novel, biobased coating from agricultural waste and seaweed with high barrier properties and heat sealability for the production of single-use cups to displace and eradicate plastic cups

The NO-PLASTI-CUPS project is an industry-led consortium backed up by multi-disciplined academic partners which will develop a hydrophobic coating (‘the coating’) made entirely from biobased feedstocks (agricultural waste, seaweed and plants) which can be applied onto paperboard for conversion into disposable packaging focused on cups for hot and cold beverages (e.g. coffee or beer) as well as diverse applications such as takeaway containers for wet food e.g. soup.It brings together 14 organisations (businesses, universities, RTOs and NGOs) who cover all industry verticals involved in the production of coated packaging, alongside complementary academic and research expertise and an end user/purchaser, to ensure the required performance and sustainability profile of the end product as well as market fit. The coating and end products will have an evidenced biodegradation profile verifying that it biodegrades as programmed, is recyclable and home compostable and leaves no negative environmental impact in a range of real world settings. The process to manufacture the coating and products will be optimised in order to minimise inputs and achieve the carbon footprint targeted by the LCA. Behavioural research and intelligent design will improve understanding of consumer behaviour at end of life and upon disposal as well as demand for sustainable, renewable, natural packaging products. The working industry relationships required to advance the coating and packaging products to the industrial stage beyond TRL 5 will have been set in place by project end. The project will provide a concrete use case of the potential of the biobased, Green Economy in Europe and a model for the switch from fossil-based inputs and products to biobased inputs and products, tackling the growing problem of plastic packaging pollution by replacing them with truly circular, natural, biodegradable and recyclable packaging alternatives.