Skip to content
- It is about converting to new renewable materials and reducing the use of disposable materials, says Josefin Nilsson at Löfbergs.
- It is about converting to new renewable materials and reducing the use of disposable materials, says Josefin Nilsson at Löfbergs.

Press release -

Löfbergs invests in 100% plastic-free disposable cups

Disposable cups often contain a plastic barrier layer, which makes them more difficult to recycle in a proper way. That is unnecessary according to Swedish based coffee group Löfbergs, which has found a new solution that is completely plastic-free and easily can be fully recycled. The new cup will be phased in at Löfbergs in the spring of 2021, and means Löfbergs takes another step towards the vision of being 100 per cent circular and generating zero waste.

- Together with our customers, we use about nine million disposable cups per year. That means that we can make a big difference by choosing which materials to use. The key is to find climate-smart solutions that works well for us and our customers. That is what we have managed to do, says Josefine Nilsson, responsible for the project at Löfbergs.

Converts and reduces the consumption
Löfbergs’s goal is to be 100 per cent circular, and the family-owned coffee roaster is now taking another step in that direction. Over the last year, Löfbergs has developed a new strategy that describes how the company thinks and acts to be at the leading edge and drive the development when it comes to disposables. In short, it means that Löfbergs:

  • primarily uses renewable materials, and secondly, recycled materials.
  • aims for 100 per cent material recycling.
  • reduces the use of disposable materials, for example by only offering lids or straws if the customer asks for it.

- It is about converting to new renewable materials and reducing the use of disposable materials. Once we succeed with that, we will reduce our climate impact significantly, says Josefine Nilsson.

100% recyclable and plastic-free paper cup
Based on the strategy and the customers’ needs, Löfbergs has developed a new assortment of cups for hot and cold beverages.

- For hot beverages, we will use a new kind of paper cup with a barrier that does not contain anything else than what already exists in regular paper. It means that it is 100% plastic-free and can be fully recycled as paper in all our markets, says Josefine Nilsson.

The new paper cup is also our preferred choice when it comes to cold beverages, but sometimes there is a need of using transparent cups, for example when serving coffee drinks.

- Then we have two options. The first is rPET, a recycled fossil-based plastic, which is the best solution when there is a functioning sorting and recycling system for plastic available. The other is PLA, a plant-based plastic, which is industrially degradable and compostable. We use PLA in markets where the cups end up at landfills or are recycled as energy through burning. One example is the takeaway cup that often ends up in a trash can, without sorting or recycling, says Josefine Nilsson.

For more information:
Josefine Nilsson, HSE Coordinator, Löfbergs +46 54 220 91 45

***

Facts about Löfbergs’s new paper cup

  • 100% plastic-free
  • 100% material recyclable
  • Is recycled as paper
  • Industrially degradable and compostable
  • Will be phased in during the spring of 2021

Related links

Topics

Categories


The coffee roaster Löfbergs is a Swedish Family Business founded in 1906. We are 350 coffee lovers operating in Northern Europe and Canada, sharing the passion for taste, trends and sustainability. We have a turnover of SEK 1.9 billion and is one of the world's largest purchasers of organic and Fairtrade-labeled coffee. The Löfbergs group also consists of the brands Green Cup, Kobbs, Percol, Peter Larsen Kaffe and SuperBonobo. Website

Contacts

Anders Thorén

Anders Thorén

Press contact Head of Corporate Communications +46 703 55 64 22

Related content

As a part of Löfbergs´s focus on circular transformation, Lars Aaen Thøgersen has been appointed Chief Innovation and Circular Transformation Officer.

​Löfbergs goes all in on circular transformation

Swedish based coffee group Löfbergs is behind the ambitious initiative Circular Coffee Community with the clear-cut purpose of eliminating all waste related to coffee. To ensure focus and accelerate progress the company appoints a Chief Innovations and Circular Transformation Officer as part of the group management team. Löfbergs represent six brands in ten core markets in Europe and Canada.

​Löfbergs joins IKEA in commitment to halve food loss and waste

​Löfbergs joins IKEA in commitment to halve food loss and waste

Löfbergs joins IKEA in the groundbreaking “10x20x30” initiative to root out food loss and waste. 10x20x30 goes hand in hand with Löfbergs´s ambitious initiative Circular Coffee Community with the clear-cut purpose of eliminating all waste related to coffee. 10x20x30 is led by IKEA and 10+ of the world’s biggest food retailers and providers. Löfbergs is one of IKEA’s major suppliers for coffee.

With Löfbergs new initiative, coffee is not only regarded as an end product, but also as a raw material for new products in a circular economy.

Circular focus as ​Löfbergs wants more to use the whole cup

Sweden is one of the top coffee consuming countries in the world. But are at the same time throwing away 300 million litres of coffee every year. An unnecessary waste of the earth’s resources. Löfbergs is now presenting an initiative to help people make the most of their coffee. The coffee is not only regarded as an end product, but also as a raw material for new products in a circular economy.