Borealis has announced the conclusion of a reusable cup pilot held at Messe Düsseldorf during K 2025, involving 50,000 durable, lightweight reusable cups made from Borealis’ foamable polypropylene.
Produced using chemically recycled feedstock from OMV’s ReOil technology and supported by contributions from the wider value chain including Bockatech, Faerch, MCC Global IML and Arburg, a reusable cup system was implemented at the event, aiming to cut waste and offer a ‘practical blueprint’ for advancing circularity at large-scale events.
Borealis says the cups were used to serve hot and cold drinks across all restaurants, bars, and food trucks at the event site. They were also available from the coffee corner at the Borealis and Borouge stand, and from the MCC Global IML stand. A dedicated collection and cleaning system, including around 50 collection bins, was set up to enable the cups to be washed and returned to use within hours.
After the event ended, a ‘significant number’ of cups left on-site had been used, collected and washed, ready for reuse. From a total of around 20,000 cups, more than 4,000 were donated to scout groups and smaller social projects in Düsseldorf, while a larger share of almost 15,000 cups was donated to Diakonie Düsseldorf.
The donations were coordinated with the support of the marketing agency Fortesnickel. Borealis adds that remaining cups recovered from residual waste or identified as damaged are mechanically recycled at MTM Plastics in Germany, part of the Borealis Group, to create high-quality feedstock for new applications.
In October last year, Royal Unibrew and Faerch collaborated on cups made from recycled PET, processed back into food-grade material after use and said to have achieved a 97% return rate at Smukfest 2025 in Denmark. The cups were collected at bars, return stations, and designated collection points after use before being sent to Faerch’s recycling business Cirrec in the Netherlands.
In related news, Lisbon rolled out its city-wide reusable cup system – powered by TOMRA’s automated return machines and Mastercard payment technology – in hopes of avoiding ‘millions’ of single-use cups annually and tackling urban litter. The initiative is set to align with national and EU-wide ambitions to reduce single-use packaging and bolster reuse systems, as enforced by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
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