environment

How is TheSmartCup environmentally friendly?

Unlike the non-compostable, non-recyclable, or non-biodegradable cups
that our coffee shops, businesses, and venues used to pay for,
TheSmartCup is made from environmentally friendly products. These
cups provide a more environmentally sensitive alternative to standard
paper packaging by reducing pollution, saving energy, and being fully
compostable.

This cup is made with an inner lining using a plastic biopolymer derived
from corn. Once the cup is formed, using fibers grown and harvested
according to guidelines from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the
bio-plastic resin is applied to the inside of the cup. The end result is a
revolutionary new cup that is helping reduce the need for oil and also
helping to protect the environment.

Every year Americans drink more than 100 billion cups of coffee. Of
those, 14.4 billion are served in disposable paper cups, enough to wrap
the earth 55 times if placed end-to-end! Those paper cups contain a
plastic lining made from a petrochemical that would produce enough
energy to heat 8,300 homes. These cups that use petro-based plastic
linings end up in U.S. landfills where they take up space, do not fully
decompose, and are dependant on oil, a limited and costly resource.

Theoretically, a petroleum-based cup liner will stay intact for eternity
after being discarded. This new corn based liner will break down under
the proper conditions. By choosing to utilize a corn-based cup liner,
you can help prevent the unnecessary consumption of millions of
pounds of non-renewable petrochemical materials every year. Nearly 70
percent of the energy used to produce the paperboard for our cup is
from renewable energy resources.

Will this cup perform the same as conventional cups?

Yes! More than thirty million of these cups have been used in the
marketplace - five million in a blind trial lasting nearly six months. They
performed comparable to the conventional cups. Consumers will notice
no difference in their enjoyment of coffee with this cup, but the
environment will.

Aren't all paper cups biodegradeable and recyclable?

No. Although paper is generally biodegradable, the conventional inside
coating on hot cups prevents them from even being compostable. This
new corn-based coating meets the ASTM standards for compostability,
and has a similar certification from the Biodegradable Products Institute
and the U.S. Composting Council for safe and complete composting in
a controlled setting.

Corn + Water + Paper = a revolutionary Eco-Friendly Cup!

TheSmartCup is one of the only paper hot cups made from fully
renewable materials, a small but important step toward a more
sustainable future.

Does the paperboard contain post-consumer recycled content?

Not at this point. Our manufacturer is continuing to investigate that
possibility and may pursue it in the future. A prime concern was
petroleum usage, and this product is making a difference. There are not
solutions for every problem. As of now, the FDA prohibits a significant
amount of recycled material from being in direct contact with food &
beverage products. However, our manufacturer is committed to continue
research and development in this area with the hopes of having a
significant post-consumer recycled cup.

What else makes this an "eco-friendly" cup?

The entire lifecycle of this cup is extraordinarily sensitive to the
environmental footprint it creates—or prevents. The fiber used to make
the cups is grown and harvested according to protection standards from
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) guidelines, so there is no harvesting
of old-growth forests . The outer paper layer of the cup is made from
virgin paper harvested from these protected fibers. The raw material for
the cup coating comes from corn grown in the United States, and is
manufactured in a greenhouse-gas-neutral process . And, after use,
under the proper conditions, the cup will break down into the natural
elements from which it was produced. That's why we feel it's such a
revolutionary eco-friendly hot cup

What is the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Program?

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI®)Program is a comprehensive
system of principles, objectives and performance measures developed
by foresters, conservationists and scientists that combines the
perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife,
plants, soil and water quality. There are currently over 136 million acres
of forestland in North America enrolled in the SFI program, making it
among the world's largest sustainable forestry programs.

What about your lids? Those aren't environmentally friendly.

Several advances have been made recently, such as the thermoforming
of material sourced from soy. Manufacturers are working with research
companies to bring this material to the market as soon as possible and
in turn, TheSmartCup will offer it as part of our package.

Is your packaging for distribution environmentally friendly too?

Yes. We use a fiber-based corrugated packaging, which reduces the
impact on the environment and protects the natural systems of the
planet, to package our cups for distribution right to your coffee shop
door. Fiber-based corrugated packaging is manufactured from
sustainable resources and designed for true cradle-to-cradle recovery
and recycling, which reduces your environmental footprint. It's
packaging minus the waste! The packaging that we use is designed
with the entire product life cycle in mind.

Made from 100% renewable forest fiber procured in accordance with
SFI® standards and recycled fiber.

Manufactured with over 70% biomass energy that reduces greenhouse
gas emissions.

Engineered from strong 100% renewable fiber. Combined with advanced
technology and approach to design, this reduces the amount of
packaging material required to achieve optimal strength, reducing total
supply chain costs.

Often shelf-ready, designed to reduce the need for repackaging and to
minimize waste.

Reusable as packaging and recoverable for recycling into new
packaging and other paper products.