GLOBAL food packaging manufacturer Go-Pak Group has launched Clarity, a new range of clear cold-drink cups made entirely from recycled PET plastic to provide retailers with better sustainability options without compromising on product visibility or quality.
Designed for cafés, takeaway businesses, foodservice operators and grab-and-go retailers, these crack-resistant cups contain 100% recycled materials with no virgin plastic and are suitable for serving smoothies, matcha drinks, iced coffees, juices, desserts and bubble tea, and can be recycled after use.
The launch comes as foodservice businesses face growing pressure to reduce their reliance on virgin plastic and make measurable improvements to their packaging choices. Research shows that 81% of consumers want more sustainable packaging, while 66% consider recyclability important.
Businesses must now also respond to the UK’s extended producer responsibility for packaging scheme, known as pEPR. The scheme transfers more of the cost of managing packaging waste to the businesses that supply or import it.
With a green rating under the UK’s Recyclability Assessment Methodology, the Clarity cups can help obligated businesses reduce their pEPR fees compared with less recyclable packaging formats.
Alexandra Forsyth-Nash, product development manager at Go-Pak Group, said: “Clarity has been developed for businesses that want to reduce their use of virgin plastic while continuing to offer reliable, high-quality drinks packaging.
“Using 100% recycled PET gives procurement teams, sustainability leads and tender decision-makers a clear recycled-content claim. It also demonstrates how plastic waste can be collected, processed and used to create another product, supporting a more circular approach to packaging.”
Made from 100% recycled PET, the Clarity cups also exceed the 30% recycled-content threshold for the UK Plastic Packaging Tax. This could help qualifying manufacturers and importers avoid the tax charged on packaging containing less than 30% recycled plastic, while supporting their wider response to pEPR and demand for more recyclable packaging.
Mike Bristow, group sales and marketing director at Go-Pak Group, said: “The on-cup message, ‘Nothing New to See Here’, communicates the product’s recycled credentials in a simple way. It allows foodservice brands to make their packaging choices more visible to customers while encouraging responsible disposal after use.
“As expectations around packaging continue to change, businesses need products that balance sustainability, practicality and presentation. Clarity has been designed to deliver across all three areas.”
Once properly disposed of, rPET cups can be collected, sorted and processed into material for new products where the appropriate recycling infrastructure is available. This helps keep existing materials in use for longer and reduces demand for virgin plastic.
The Clarity range is available to foodservice businesses and packaging distributors through Go-Pak Group. For more information visit go-pakgroup.com/brands/go-rpet.