The Future of Coffee Cups: Change is in Your Hands
Sustainability is no longer a trend — it’s an expectation. Across Australia and New Zealand, businesses are under increasing pressure to move away from traditional plastics and adopt packaging that aligns with new legislation, consumer values, and environmental goals. Companies across the industry are responding by re-evaluating their practices and marketing to demonstrate environmental responsibility. Traditional coffee cups and packaging have significant environmental impacts, contributing to landfill waste, pollution, and increased carbon emissions. With state bans tightening and the shift toward a circular economy accelerating, reducing carbon emissions is a key objective, making future-proofing your packaging choices critical.
At BioPak, they’re committed to leading the way with innovative cup and lid solutions designed to meet current and future requirements — without disruption to supply. Protecting the environment through sustainable packaging is essential to minimize negative impacts and support a healthier planet.
The Road Ahead for Cup Linings
The coffee cup of the future is already here — but the journey is not straightforward. Businesses currently rely on PLA (plant-based bioplastic) and aqueous (water-based) linings, but new innovations are reshaping the market. The range of future-proof linings includes options for both home and commercial composting.
PLA Linings: Already widely used, with improved versions rolling out from late 2023. Certification includes commercially compostable standards.
Aqueous Linings: A seamless transition available now, offering home compostability at no extra cost. The contents of the cup remain unaffected by the lining.
PHA Linings: Coming soon, with the added benefit of being marine degradable. These cups allow for environmentally safe disposal.
The manufacture of these linings avoids harmful additives and supports sustainable disposal, ensuring that both the production process and the end-of-life impact are environmentally responsible.
By the end of 2025, the market will have shifted entirely to future-proof linings. Taking action today ensures your café or restaurant stays compliant and competitive.
Recyclable and Sustainable Cup Solutions
PLA Cups
PLA (Polylactic Acid) cups use Ingeo™, a bioplastic derived from plants. They reduce CO₂ emissions by over 70% compared to conventional plastics and are certified industrially compostable to both Australian (AS4736) and European (EN13432) standards. Crucially, they are free from fossil-fuel plastics and available with custom branding options, including eco-labels and labels that communicate verified sustainability certifications. The BioPak team, together with experienced marketers, work to develop and promote PLA cups, ensuring that their environmental credentials are credible and trustworthy. Information about the sustainability of PLA cups is made publicly available to support transparency and informed choices.
Aqueous Cups
Aqueous cups use a water-based lining that is home compostable while maintaining industrial compostability certification. These cups are made from sustainably sourced paper, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic-lined options. By choosing aqueous cups, businesses can drop less sustainable materials in favor of innovative aqueous linings. Compared to reusable options, aqueous cups offer a convenient single-use solution while still supporting environmental goals. It is important to clearly mention the compostability of aqueous cups to ensure consumers are not misled. Using aqueous cups can help save resources by reducing reliance on plastics and supporting responsible sourcing. Customers can expect a great experience with these cups, enjoying both quality and sustainability. Businesses can transition seamlessly, with optional PEFC™ or FSC™ certified board.
PHA Cups
PHA cups are the next big step. Certified home compostable and marine degradable, these cups break down safely in the ocean as well as in composting environments. Several case studies highlight businesses that have adopted PHA cups to reduce their environmental impact, demonstrating real-world success in sustainable packaging. Many companies have pledged to use marine degradable solutions like PHA cups as part of their sustainability strategies. BioPak and industry partners have made strong commitments to sustainability by introducing PHA cups into their product lines. Since the launch of PHA cups, the response from both the market and environmental groups has been overwhelmingly positive. Like other BioCups, they remain fossil fuel plastic free, with no compromise on quality.
The Future of Lids
Cups aren’t the only packaging component evolving — lids are too. BioPak’s sustainable packaging range includes not only lids but also bags and other eco-friendly products.
CPLA Lids: Made from Ingeo™ bioplastic, reducing CO₂ emissions by 70%+, and certified industrially compostable. Available in black or white, with custom embossing options. These lids are commonly used in cafés and restaurants.
Bagasse Lids: Manufactured from reclaimed sugarcane pulp, a rapidly renewable by-product of the sugar industry. These lids are certified home compostable and designed for a premium experience — no softening, no taste transfer, and secure fit to protect the contents of the cup. Local production is also being explored to strengthen supply resilience.
Busting the Myths: Misleading Environmental Claims and Greenwashing in Packaging
It’s important to cut through the noise and understand the facts:
No coffee cup is truly “plastic free.” Even aqueous linings contain small amounts of acrylic.
No coffee cup is recyclable in kerbside systems. Current infrastructure cannot separate the lining from the paperboard, meaning claims of recyclability are misleading environmental claims.
No cup lid is recyclable. Once contaminated with milk or coffee residue, lids cannot be accepted in recycling streams.
When companies make sustainability claims about their packaging, it is essential that these claims are truthful, credible, and supported by evidence. Vague, unsubstantiated, or false claims—such as claiming a product is "eco-friendly" or "gentle on the environment" without credible proof—can mislead the public and undermine trust. The rise of greenwashing contributes to consumer skepticism towards all green claims. The use of gentle or vague words in marketing makes it easier for a company to promote an image of environmental responsibility while avoiding meaningful disclosure about the actual effect of their products.
Greenwashing occurs when a company or organisation promotes or claims environmental benefits that are not supported by facts, often through misleading environmental claims or unsubstantiated sustainability claims. This can have a negative effect on public trust, influence buying behavior, and reduce consumers’ willingness to spend money on genuinely sustainable products. When the public is misled, it not only harms consumer confidence but also diverts money away from companies that are truly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting carbon sinks, or working to cut methane. Greenwashing occurs when a company spends more on green advertising than on actual environmentally friendly practices.
Government agencies and regulatory organisations play a crucial role in ensuring that companies publicly disclose accurate information about their products and avoid misleading the public. Campaigns led by advocacy groups and government action have prompted some companies to drop false claims and improve the form and substance of their sustainability claims. Organisations are increasingly required to disclose credible content and provide evidence for their environmental assertions.
The environmental impact of misleading claims is significant. When companies make unsubstantiated or false claims, it can slow progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, undermine efforts to protect carbon sinks, and distract from the urgent need to cut methane emissions. Some companies have led the way in promoting genuine sustainability, while others have only improved after public campaigns and regulatory intervention exposed their misleading practices.
By making compostability the focus, businesses can avoid misleading claims and offer customers a genuinely sustainable solution.
Why Future-Proofing Matters for Companies
Making the switch now protects your business from regulatory risks, secures consistent supply, and builds trust with environmentally conscious customers. By making and honoring sustainability commitments and pledges, your business demonstrates genuine dedication to environmental responsibility. Promoting these commitments to your customers not only enhances your reputation but also sets you apart from competitors. With state bans expanding, early adopters will avoid costly disruptions while strengthening their sustainability credentials. Future-proofing your packaging choices brings great benefits, including the ability to save resources and improve operational efficiency.
Join the Movement
The shift to truly sustainable packaging is well underway. With BioPak’s innovative solutions — from PLA and aqueous cups to marine-degradable PHA — cafés, restaurants, and businesses can stay ahead of legislation while making a real difference for the planet.
Change is in your hands. Together, we can build a more sustainable, circular future.