Borealis is pleased to share the successful conclusion of a groundbreaking reusable cup pilot at K 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber. For the first time in the event’s history, and at any event held at Messe Düsseldorf, a comprehensive reusable cup system was implemented, cutting waste and offering a practical blueprint for advancing circularity at large-scale events.
The pilot project involved 50,000 durable, lightweight reusable cups made from Borealis’ foamable polypropylene, produced using chemically recycled feedstock from OMV’s ReOil® technology, and supported by a wider value chain that included contributions from Bockatech, Faerch, MCC Global IML and ARBURG.
The cups were used to serve hot and cold drinks across all restaurants, bars, and food trucks at the fairground. They were also available from the coffee corner at the Borealis and Borouge stand, and from the MCC Global IML stand. A dedicated collection and cleaning system, including around 50 collection bins, was set up to enable the cups to be washed and returned to use within hours.
“Introducing a cup return system across an event as large and complex as K 2025 was a major step for us,” says Thomas Franken, Director of K, Messe Düsseldorf. “It showed that visitors are ready to engage with circular solutions, and that large-scale reuse can work in practice. The insights from this pilot will help shape our discussions about future approaches.”
After the fair closed, a significant number of cups left on-site had been used, collected and washed, making them ready for reuse. From a total of around 20,000 cups, more than 4,000 were donated to scout groups and smaller social projects in Düsseldorf, while a larger share of almost 15,000 cups was donated to Diakonie Düsseldorf. The donations were coordinated with the support of the marketing agency FORTESNICKEL. FORTESNICKEL is a Düsseldorf-based live marketing agency that designs impactful brand and product experiences through diverse event formats, creating emotional connections and memorable moments.
Remaining cups recovered from residual waste or identified as damaged are mechanically recycled at mtm plastics in Germany, part of the Borealis Group, to create high-quality feedstock for new applications.
“We’re proud to have led this initiative in partnership with Messe Düsseldorf and our partners across the value chain,” says Philip Knapen, Borealis Application Development and Technical Service Manager Consumer Products. “Together, we’ve shown that it’s possible to implement circular systems even in large, complex settings—and that collaboration is the key to making them work.”
The scout groups have received the cups already in November. The next phase saw the handover of the donated cups end of December 2025 to Diakonie Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, attended by Thomas Franken (Messe Düsseldorf), Philip Knapen (Borealis), Dzenita Antunovic (Borealis), Mario Nickel, the CEO of FORTESNICKEL, and Sonja Laudin from Diakonie Düsseldorf.
“We were delighted to help Borealis and Messe Düsseldorf find a meaningful next life for these reuseable cups,” says Mario Nickel. “Seeing them repurposed for a good cause is the perfect end to this ambitious project.”
Advancing circularity at busy, high-traffic environments like K is a significant challenge, but this initiative showed that large-scale reuse systems can deliver meaningful results when supported by the entire value chain.