Hesburger restaurants now serve drinks in fully biobased cups engineered to survive 300 dishwasher cycles, a move that puts the fast-food chain on the shortlist for this year’s Sustainability Awards.
The nomination lands in the Reapply category, spotlighting reusable packaging breakthroughs. Winners get announced tonight at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Sulapac developed the material behind the cups, called Sulapac Solid. The Finnish company says the product avoids fossil-based plastics entirely while standing up to the wear and tear of commercial kitchens. Unlike glass or ceramic, it won’t shatter. Yet it delivers a premium look and feel that separates it from conventional plastic.
For Hesburger, the rollout began in Lithuania. The chain aims to prove that quick-service restaurants can shift from single-use items to durable reusables without compromising function or aesthetics.
At end-of-life, the cups enter a polymer-to-polymer recycling stream. That process preserves food-contact quality, meaning the material can become new food packaging rather than downcycled goods.
Meanwhile, Sulapac reports interest from airlines, sports arenas, and other quick-service restaurant operators. The company wants Sulapac Solid to become the default choice for any business moving away from disposable tableware.
The broader context matters here. Packaging regulations continue tightening globally, and the food service sector faces mounting pressure to reduce plastic waste. A dishwasher-proof, biobased cup that recycles cleanly could shift how restaurant chains think about reusables.
The Sustainability Awards ceremony takes place November 11, capping a three-day summit that brings together FMCG leaders, policymakers, recyclers, and investors to tackle packaging’s toughest environmental challenges.
