S Starbucks EMEA calls it “the most exciting iteration” of the company’s legendary white cup. Launched in select markets across Europe in May 2025, the cup really delivers on the innovative angle: the cup’s plastic lining has been replaced with a mineral-based coating, and the single-use plastic lids have been replaced with fibre alternatives. But what type of R&D effort went into the making of the new and improved cup? Let it be said up front: Starbucks EMEA was facing no small challenge here. Tradition- ally, single-use hot and cold cups feature a plastic-paper mixed-material composition that is pretty much the industry norm – and hard to replace. Local requirements and waste infra- structure also vary widely by location, making it difficult for a global company like Starbucks to adopt and scale a single cup solution. To assist with this dilemma, Starbucks enlisted the aid of converter company Tran- scend Packaging and set out to develop a hot cup that removed the plastic lining alto- gether. The ultimate goal: replace the plastic
were ready to contribute in a major way,” says Boyle, who was in charge of heading the Metsä Board end of the project after it began around 2022. Pretty soon, the R&D wizards at Metsä Board’s Excellence Centre at Äänekoski, in Finland got the call and were only too happy to offer their assistance. “Our 360 Services quickly jumped in and provided support for the project,” says Hélène Lehtinen , Vice President, R&D, at Metsä Board, adding that the company’s R&D laboratory at Äänekoski had a lot to contribute to the venture. From analysis to trouble shooting, the Äänekoski Excellence Centre brought its considerable resources to bear to accelerate the project. “We found that we could really come up with something great by working in tight col- laboration,”she remembers. FEELING THE PRESSURE Boyle admits that there was also a degree of nervousness in the air: with the introduction of the new cup, new sustainability claims would be made, and they needed to be airtight. “To make it all work, we moved forward in the spirit of very open collaboration, con- stantly challenging each other to achieve the best possible outcome.”
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lining with a non-plastic choice, without compromising the customer experience. The innovative mineral-based coating was produced by coating pioneer Qwarzo®, whose advanced patented coating technology proved crucial for the undertaking. In essence, this means Qwarzo’s technology is applied to the inner layer of the new cup, as well as the outer layer of the fibre lid, to provide a waterproof barrier that is certified and meets many local laws requirements on home compostability and recyclability. EYE ON MATERIAL What about the primary material, then? After all, the high-flying concept still needed paper- board material that provided that extra perfor- mance to make it all work. Matt Boyle , Sales Director, Food & Retail Europe, for Metsä Board, reports that as Starbucks was looking for an innovative paperboard solution, Metsä Board stepped up really quickly. “Getting away from plastic was something that needed a strong team effort – and we
TEAM EUROPE The making of the new cup was truly a pan- European effort: it was created using traceable wood fibre from Nordic forests with a mineral- based coating developed in Brescia in Italy. The cup was designed and constructed at Transcend Packaging’s factory in Wales. Using a phased approach, the new hot cup and lid solution have been gradually rolled out in stores across select European markets since the spring of 2025. The initial countries included Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Spain and Hungary.
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