First All-Natural Hot Beverage Cup Made from Corn-Based Bioplastic

GreeBiz

WATERBURY, Vt., and MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 13, 2006 - Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and International Paper have teamed to launch the only all-natural paper hot beverage cup available in consumer outlets throughout the U.S.

A conventional cup is lined with a petroleum-based plastic to prevent leaking. The new cup is lined with a bio-plastic made from a renewable resource -- corn. After use, and under the proper conditions, it will break down into water, carbon dioxide and organic matter.

"For 25 years, we've said that we craft our coffee with care. Now our cups are crafted just as carefully," said T.J. Whalen, vice president of marketing for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. "These cups, made from fully renewable resources, are part of our corporate commitment to environmental stewardship."

“Consumers will notice no difference as they enjoy coffee with this cup -- but the environment will,” said Austin Lance, vice president and general manager of International Paper's foodservice division. “It’s the first in what will be a series of “ecotainer” products that reflect our company’s concern for the environmental footprint we leave behind.”

The two companies have been working on the revolutionary cup for more than a year, including a blind market trial of nearly five million cups. Not only does the cup feature an eco-friendly liner, but the material used to create the lining is manufactured in a greenhouse-gas-neutral environment.

“Converting to this cup will mean that we consume nearly a quarter of a million pounds less of non-renewable petrochemical materials every year,” said GMCR’s Paul Comey, vice president for environmental affairs. “That’s why we think this is such a revolutionary eco-friendly cup.”