Lavazza Professional launches the KLIX Eco Cup in the UK
A leap forward in the reduction of plastic waste and of the number of cups sent to landfill, Lavazza Professional introduces the new KLIX Eco Cup, a breakthrough in in-cup vending that is biodegradable and recyclable with normal paper waste.
A truly sustainable vending solution for the workplace, the new KLIX Eco Cup will be available in KLIX vending machines beginning in February 2020, serving a wide range of popular hot drinks brands, with many more to come throughout the year.
Ashley Weller, UK market director Lavazza Professional UK, explained, “Calls for a reduction in single-use plastic for food and drink containers increased our commitment to offering our customers and consumers a revolutionary solution to meet their needs: KLIX Eco Cup marks another step forward in our mission to deliver the most sustainable drinks vending solutions in the world.”
The (UK) House of Commons – Environmental Audit Committee stated that in the UK, 2.5 billion coffee cups are used and thrown away each year, but less than 1 in 400 – just 0.25% – are recycled. Not surprisingly, an enormous number of cups – around 500,000 – are littered every day.
Most consumers are unaware that standard paper cups are difficult to recycle and are usually sent to landfill due to a Polyethylene (PE) lining that very few recycling facilities across Europe can process. The new KLIX Eco Cup is unique due to a special patented water-based dispersion barrier board by Kotkamills that enables the cups to be recycled with normal paper waste, just like office paper.
Designed for businesses that are looking for an alternative to plastic cups, the KLIX Eco Cup is manufactured using paper sourced from sustainably managed forests, accredited by PEFC and can be recycled into paper waste up to seven times, guaranteeing low environmental impact.
A Life Cycle Assessment run by the external consultancy WSP states that using the new KLIX Eco Cup reduces environmental impact by almost two thirds compared with a standard paper cup.
“One of the greatest challenges was developing a cup that meets our high expectations for quality and recyclability whilst ensuring consumers enjoy a great taste experience,” said Weller.
Lavazza Professional’s range of KLIX machines for the workplace drinks market offers sustainability features such as low energy and standby modes, efficient boiler systems, heating just enough water at precisely the right temperature and all manufactured in their own ISO 14001-certified UK factory.
“We have always been passionate about making a positive difference that goes far beyond our own business and supports our customers on their own individual sustainability journeys. We are therefore pioneering a breakthrough sustainable solution in the vending world,” said Weller. “Our commitment is clear, but we hope that other businesses will also increasingly play an active role, because strength is in numbers. We encourage the big players in the market to explore similar solutions in order to boost the rate of recycling for this type of cup.”
The new KLIX Eco Cup will be available from February 2020 in the KLIX Momentum and Outlook machines starting with the most popular drinks, with a progressive roll out plan across 2020, which will dramatically reduce Lavazza Professional’s use of plastic by 2021.
Based in Basingstoke, UK, Lavazza Professional is part of the Lavazza Group and home of vending brands such as KLIX and Flavia. Lavazza Professional is a leader in vending, operating in Europe, North America and Japan, with offices based in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, North America and Japan and several production plants across all the geographies.
