Reusable Sulapac® cups introduced in selected Burger King restaurants in Finland

Restel, a Finnish restaurant and catering company, accelerates on its journey to cut down waste and emissions; kicks off a pilot with reusable cups made of biobased and recyclable Sulapac® material in selected restaurants, including two Burger King outlets.

HELSINKI (20^th May, 2024)

Finnish restaurant and catering company Restel kicked off a pilot with reusable ‘eco cups’ in selected Burger King and Rax restaurants, which the company operates in Finland. The pilot takes place in collaboration with the award-winning material innovation company Sulapac. Through the adoption of reusable Sulapac cups restaurants can decrease waste and CO₂ emissions and avoid harmful microplastic pollution.

“By collaborating with Sulapac we can mitigate the negative climate and environmental impacts related to single-use and oil-based plastic while advancing the circular bioeconomy,” says Anna Koskinen, Sustainability and Communications Manager at Restel.

 

Biobased material that is safe for people and the planet

As was the case with Restel, many fast-food and event industry operators are pleasantly surprised to learn that reuse doesn’t need to translate into using oil-based plastic. The Sulapac Solid material developed for reusable tableware specifically is 100% biobased and its production doesn’t require any hazardous chemicals.

”Our Solid material can be efficiently recycled, while it’s also suitable for industrial composting. The compostability certificate is a way to validate the environmental friendliness of the material, as it includes tests for potential ecotoxic effects and heavy metals, for example,” explains Heidi Peltola, Chief Product Officer at Sulapac.

In addition, Sulapac Solid leaves behind no permanent microplastic, that poses severe risks to ecosystems and human health. “All our materials can be digested by naturally occurring microbes. Hence, Sulapac materials do not accumulate in the food chain, unlike conventional plastic,” Peltola says.

A truly circular solution

The Sulapac eco cups are used in the selected pilot restaurants for two months. The customer receives the cup from the cashier and returns it after use to the appointed collection tray; The cup can be washed around 200 times. At its end of life, Sulapac takes care of recycling the cups.

The chemical recycling of Sulapac and other biobased biodegradable materials is highly efficient, both in terms of energy consumption and yield. Another notable benefit of the process is that the food contact quality is maintained. “In other words, we turn Restel’s discarded cups into new drinking cups, following the principles of the circular economy,” concludes Peltola.

Sulapac’s closed-loop service is available to its hospitality and cosmetics customers worldwide.

 

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Download press release in Finnish

 

Further information:

Noora Nyländen
Director, Marketing and Communications, Sulapac Ltd
noora.nylanden@sulapac.com
+358 40 849 5286

Anna Koskinen
Vastuullisuus- ja viestintäpäällikkö, Restel Oy
anna.koskinen@restel.fi
+358 44 420 3168

 

Sulapac Ltd is an award-winning material innovation company bringing solutions to the global plastic crisis. By replacing conventional plastic with sustainable, beautiful, and functional Sulapac materials, companies can reduce their carbon footprint, eliminate microplastic pollution, and advance the circular economy. The Helsinki-based company was founded by three scientists in 2016 and serves customers across various industries on three continents. Investors behind Sulapac®, the patented material innovation, include CHANEL and Sky Ocean Ventures.

Restel Oy is one of the largest providers of restaurant services in Finland. The company operates about 200 restaurants across the country, employing about 2,000 professionals. Restaurants operated by Restel include BURGER KING® and Taco Bell as well as local chains and event catering services.