Yes, all our paper cups are specifically designed for use with hot drinks. Our Double Wall and Ripple Cups are particularly suitable for all types of hot beverages. Our single-wall paper cups are great for milky hot drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. However, we recommend using our paper cup sleeves when serving tea and americanos for added insulation.
Absolutely! We supply compostable and recyclable single-wall, double-wall, and ripple paper cups to numerous cafés, coffee shops, caterers, and other businesses across the UK and Europe.
Many of our customers opt for bespoke custom-branded paper cups to effectively promote their brand. We offer various options to suit your needs, including an express service with a lead time of 3 to 4 weeks from order to delivery, as well as a more cost-effective option with a minimum lead time of 12 weeks (minimum order quantities vary for each option).
Please reach out to us if you are interested in branded and printed paper cups. You can contact us by phone at +44(0)20 3006 2432, Whatsapp, or email info@packagingenvironmental.co.uk.
A single-wall paper cup consists of a single layer of paper, while a double-wall paper cup has two layers of paper. The additional layer in a double-wall paper cup provides extra heat protection for the customer and helps keep the drink warmer for longer. This cup type is commonly used for hot drinks like black coffee and tea. To serve similarly hot drinks in a single-wall paper cup, it is best to include a sleeve for the customer’s protection.
A ripple cup is essentially a single-wall paper cup with an additional layer of rippled paper, offering similar heat protection to a double-wall cup. Ripple cups are commonly used for hot drinks like black coffee and tea.
Opting for a single-wall cup with a sleeve provides a distinctive appearance and similar heat protection to double-wall or ripple cups. It is also generally more cost-effective, as sleeves are not required for relatively cooler drinks like lattes and cappuccinos. This means our customers, including coffee shops and cafés, typically use cups and sleeves in a 2:1 ratio. Not only does it save money, but it also reduces environmental impact by using fewer materials.
Our PE-lined paper cups are all widely recyclable. Find out how to correcty dispose of paper cups.
Previously, the issue with recycling paper cups was that there were very few facilities able to separate the paper from the PE plastic lining, but this has now improved for the better over recent years.
Recycling paper cups posed challenges due to difficulties in separating the paper from the plastic lining. However, significant improvements have been made in recent years. Recycling our paper cups is now a much simpler process with dedicated bins available in major coffee shops, city centres, retail hubs, airports, and fast food chains for convenient disposal.
Compostable paper cups differ from our PE-lined paper cups as they do not have an oil-based inner plastic lining. Instead, the lining is made from plant-based starch, making our PLA-lined paper cups completely biodegradable and compostable.
When a product is biodegradable, it means it will naturally break down over a long period of time and isn't environmentally friendly. For a product to be labelled as compostable, it must break down within six months in a composting facility. To see a copy of our certificate, please get in touch.
No as our compostable paper cups are PLA lined which isn't currently recyclable. The ideal disposal method is to place them in a compostable packaging waste stream.
Aside from tea, coffee and juice, paper cups can be used for different food & drink items such as yoghurt cups, popcorn cups, fruit cups, fries cups, chips cups & ice cream cups to name a few.
Here is a rough guide of which coffee cup styles our customers tend to use:
- Single wall paper cups with sleeves: Suitable for hotter drinks like tea and black coffee.
- Single wall paper cups without sleeves: Suitable for relatively cooler drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, or cold beverages.
- Double wall paper cups or ripple paper cups: Suitable for hotter drinks like tea and black coffee.
- Compostable paper cups: Recommended for use in closed environments with a compostable waste stream, such as workplace canteens where all packaging is disposed of on-site.
- Recyclable paper cups: Suitable for use in open environments where packaging is often disposed of off-site, such as takeaway coffee shops.
Here is a rough guide of which coffee cup size(s) our customers tend to use for some of the most popular hot beverages:
- Espresso: 4oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Double Espresso: 4oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Short Macchiato: 4oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Long Macchiato: 6oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Ristretto: 4oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Americano: 12oz, 16oz - Single Wall Paper Cup with Sleeve, Double Wall Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Latte: 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, 16oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Double Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Cappuccino: 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, 16oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Double Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Flat White: 6oz, 8oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Double Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Piccolo Latte: 6oz, 8oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Double Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
- Mocha: 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, 16oz Single Wall Paper Cup, Double Wall Paper Cup, Ripple Paper Cup
- Tea: 12oz, 16oz Single Wall Paper Cup with Sleeve, Double Wall Cup, Ripple Paper Cup.
Our disposable coffee cups and coffee cup lids can be purchased separately, as not all customers require lids. We supply both recyclable and compostable coffee cup lids.
Certainly! You can print your brand or logo on our paper cups. Many of our customers choose bespoke or custom paper cups to effectively promote their brand. We provide options to suit your requirements, including an express service with a lead time of 3 to 4 weeks from order to delivery. The minimum order quantity varies for each option.
Please contact us if you are interested in branded or custom paper cups. You can reach us by phone at +44(0)20 3006 2432, Whatsapp, or email info@packagingenvironmental.co.uk.
Yes, you can apply branded stickers to our paper cups. Sticker branding is a cost-effective and lower-risk solution, especially if you can't meet the minimum order quantity for direct printing. The minimum order quantity for producing stickers is 1,000 pieces. For more information about pricing and lead times, please contact us at +44(0)20 3006 2432, Whatsapp, or email info@packagingenvironmental.co.uk.
Certainly! If you would like to test our paper coffee cups before placing an order, please submit a sample request form or contact us by phone at +44(0)20 3006 2432, Whatsapp, or email info@packagingenvironmental.co.uk. We will be glad to send you samples, usually within a few days.
When most people visit their local coffee shop for a midday energy boost or grab a takeaway coffee from a chain on their way to work, the disposal of the coffee cup is often an afterthought. In fact, many people are unaware of whether their disposable coffee cup should be recycled, composted, or simply sent to landfill. This lack of awareness has resulted in a concerning amount of waste generated by disposable coffee cups.
In the UK alone, we use over 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups each year, with trillions more used worldwide annually. Historically, the majority of these cups ended up in landfills. However, thanks to the use of new materials and cup disposal initiatives, the situation is starting to change.
The Challenge:
Most disposable coffee cups are made from paper with a polyethylene (PE) lining, ensuring they are leakproof. However, this combination of paper and plastic has made it challenging to recycle these cups after use.
There is a common misconception that disposable paper cups cannot be recycled due to their plastic lining. However, this is not true. They can be recycled, but they require separate collection to ensure they are sent for recycling. This means that while they are not kerbside recyclable (in your home recycling bin), they can be placed in designated paper cup recycling bins.
The Solution:
In 2018, following public and media pressure to address the growing issue of disposable coffee cup waste, the National Cup Recycling Scheme was established. This scheme brings together major retailers, waste management companies, and UK paper mills, with the shared goal of developing the necessary infrastructure to increase the collection and recycling of paper cups in the UK..
Thanks to this initiative, there are now five facilities in the UK capable of recycling polyethylene-lined paper cups, with the capacity to handle all cups consumed annually in the country. As most paper cups are used on the go, the scheme has also expanded the network of locations where paper cups can be disposed of properly, including coffee shops, city centres, retail hubs, airports, and fast food chains.
What Can You Do To Help?
If you use disposable paper cups, ensure they are disposed of correctly and sustainably by placing them in the designated waste stream. For our paper cups, check out the how to dispose of our packaging page.
If you operate a hot drink establishment like a café, coffee shop, caterer, or fast food chain, provide dedicated waste streams for cup recycling or composting to enable your customers to dispose of their paper cups properly.
Waste collectors should incorporate paper cup collection into their services and take advantage of the financial incentive offered by the National Cup Recycling Scheme, which provides an additional £70 per tonne of cups, in addition to the standard fees from recycling facilities.
By working together and taking individual actions, we can contribute to reducing the environmental impact of disposable coffee cup waste and move towards a more sustainable future.