Borealis and Bockatech Showcasing Ultra-Lightweight Reusable PP Cups

At K 2022, Borealis and Bockatech, inventor and licensor of the innovative EconCore plastic foaming manufacturing technology, are showcasing lightweight and ultra-lightweight reusable cups made of PP using EconCore. These robust and fully recyclable cups represent the many thin wall and reusable packaging applications that can be developed using Borealis PP resins and the next-generation EconCore foaming technology. Today’s ultra-lightweight cups made using Borealis PP and the EconCore technology platform for sustainable packaging are even lighter than many conventional single-use paper cups. Yet they boast good insulation properties, with twice the thermal barrier of PP cups with solid walls of the same weight.

Durable EconCore moldings can be microwave and dishwasher-safe. Because they are made solely of PP, they are easy to recycle once they have reached end of life after hundreds of use cycles. The EconCore technology produces durable, monomaterial molding walls with a composite skin-foam-skin structure in only seconds, and at low cost. When using the EconCore and Borealis PP, converters and brand owners reportedly benefit from: up to 50% less plastic, improved recyclability of molding and injection molded labels (IML), shorter cycle times of 5-to-7 seconds, and design freedom of shapes, colors, transparency and decorating elements. 

Said Borealis global commercial director consumer products Peter Voortmans, “With our partner Bockatech we’ve made unique progress in making thin wall and reusable packaging even more sustainable. The compatibility of the EconCore platform with a variety of PP resins enhances its appeal to our customers. Our Bornewables portfolio of circular polyolefins, and our transformational Borcycle C family of chemically-recycled grades can be used as drop-in solutions for food and non-food. In addition to that, our Borcycle M portfolio of mechanically recycled grades enables production of non-food applications.