Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon, March 06, 2019 --(PR.com)-- Multinational manufacturing group, INDEVCO, announces that its specialty-coated repulpable and compostable "Sanita Natura" paper cup was shortlisted in the top 29 entries of the NextGen Cup Challenge; 480 entries were submitted from 53 countries.

INDEVCO’s Foodservice Packaging Innovation Team responded to the challenge, bringing together member company experts in paperboard coating at Specialty Coating & Laminating in Doswell, Virginia; paper sourcing and paper cup production Napco National in Dammam, Saudi Arabia; and global sustainability at headquarters in Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon.

According to Ziad El Tayah, Napco National Key Account Director for Consumer Products, “We designed ‘Sanita Natura’ to use existing supply chain and waste recovery systems, so that the foodservice ecosystem is not dramatically disrupted and so that waste can be converted into valuable raw material fiber, rather than going to landfill or becoming marine waste.”

The NextGen Cup Challenge
With an estimated 266 billion disposable cups to be distributed globally in 2022,1 quick service restaurants, catering and foodservice businesses are under intense pressure to replace unrecyclable single-use disposables.

The NextGen Consortium launched the cup challenge to identify and commercialize existing and future recoverable solutions for the single-use paper cup system. Founding partners Starbucks and McDonald’s were joined by supporting partners The Coca-Cola Company USA, Yum! Brands, and Nestlé and advisory partner, World Wildlife Fund. Closed Loop Partner’s Center for the Circular Economy managed the challenge.

Sustainably-Sourced, Recyclable Raw Materials
"Sanita Natura" paper cup uses existing supply chains to source certified raw materials that offer similar sealing and sensory properties as a cup with a PE liner and that ensure repulpability.

Non-controversial cupstock is chain-of-custody certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) and the Program for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification® (PEFC®), as well as compliant with the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA), EC Regulation No 1935, and BfR Recommendation XXXVI-compliant. The cupstock coating, a proprietary water-based functional and barrier emulsion, is also FDA and EU REACH compliant.

"Sanita Natura" cup waste can go into any existing or future recovery system. The water-based coating and ink dissolve in water during repulping, disperse, and become part of recycled pulp fibers. The cup is certified repulpable by Western Michigan University.

Waste from coated cupstock and cups can be reconverted into a range of products, including sack paper, testliner, fluting, and coreboard, as well as molded pulp packaging for foodservice, agricultural, electronic, and other industries.
Specialty-Coated Paper Foodservice Packaging

INDEVCO business units supply international quick service and casual dining restaurant chains, foodservice and catering companies throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Sanita Natura foodservice packaging line extends beyond hot and cold cups to include specialty-coated paper bags, sheets, rolls, and sachets that replace unrecyclable PE and wax liners, as well as paper straws and molded fiber bowls, plates, and boxes.

Interested parties can learn more about the certifications and performance of Sanita Natura specialty-coated cups and paper foodservice packaging at www.SanitaNatura.com.

References
1 NextGen Cup Challenge: Background. https://www.openideo.com/challenge-briefs/next-gen-cup-challenge

About INDEVCO Group
Headquartered in Ajaltoun, Lebanon, INDEVCO employs nearly 10,000 people in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the US at 70 manufacturing plants and commercial companies. Since 1956, INDEVCO has grown into an industrial manufacturing group producing corrugated, paper, and plastic raw materials and packaging; jumbo tissue rolls; consumer and away-from-home disposables; renewable energy solutions; and hygiene converting machinery serving a range of industries.