Pulp beverage cup lid hits market in Europe

Sweden-based PulPac, a maker of equipment for molded pulp packaging, is part an effort to produce the Liplid hot beverage cup lid, which is made with dry molded fiber technology rather than plastic. 

“A Swedish collaboration between three innovative companies at the forefront of sustainability—PulPac, Liplid and MAX Burgers—is now leading the way toward replacing the traditional plastic lid with a sustainable fiber-based alternative,” state the three companies in a joint press release.

MAX Burgers, which describes itself as the first quick service restaurant chain in the world to label and compensate for its food’s impact on the environment, says will start to roll out the Liplid in all its restaurants in Sweden this year. 

“This has been a fantastic project, where we have adapted Liplid’s brilliant product to our technology—and will manufacture the first series of 2 million lids for Liplid,” says Sanna Fager, chief commercial officer of PulPac.

PulPac says its dry molded fiber technology offers benefits such as structural strength and “unparalleled control of material thickness, making it possible to produce very thin fiber products.” The dry process also saves “significant amounts” of water and energy, adds the firm.

“The world needs smart and functional alternatives to single-use plastics,” says Jesper Berthold, CEO at Liplid. “Using PulPac’s innovative approach, we at Liplid produced a fully recyclable, plastic-free and biodegradable cup lid with a new and unique design - bringing a new drinking experience to the market.”

The lid is placed inside, rather than on, the cup to prevent leakage and improve the stability and drinking experience of on-the-go beverages, according to Liplid.