The Second Life of Single-Use Plastics: 5 Commercial Products Already Made from Recycled Coffee Cups
Recycled PP from coffee cups yields durable products like decking and fixtures, with rPP outperforming virgin ABS in impact resistance. Circular&Co.'s 2025 cups incorporate 40% coffee waste-derived plastics, designed for 10-year lifespans.
Educational overview: Flakes from pulped cups (e.g., James Cropper's process) are compounded for food-grade or structural uses, per ASTM E84 fire standards.
Real examples:
Decking Panels: Wales' Ecodek turns cups into UV-stable boards, surpassing wood durability.
2. Acoustic Tiles: WeWork UK installs 42% rPP tiles (NRC 0.85) from cup linings.
(Note: Adapted from similar PP streams.)
3. Retail Fixtures: H-E-B Texas pilots 100% rPP shelving from NextGen flakes.
4. Rooftop Decking: Hotel Van Zandt terraces use 25-year-warranty rPP boards.
5. Wall Panels: Austin FC facilities feature graffiti-resistant, Class A rPP cladding.
Austin's 2025 cup recycling supports local scaling via ISCC Plus certification.
Startups: Use chain-of-custody docs for branding.
BeaNused® blends grounds with rPP for POS displays, cutting plastic by 30%.
Further Reading