Footprint and Qwarzo to scale PE-free, mineral-coated cup solution
Key takeaways
- Footprint International and Qwarzo are developing PE-free paper cups, lids, and straws using Qwarzo’s mineral-based barrier coating.
- The plastic-free, PFAS-free technology is designed to provide resistance to water, oil, heat, oxygen, and vapor while supporting recyclability and compostability.
- The partners plan to commercialize and scale mineral-coated packaging initially in Europe, although no launch timeline has been disclosed.
Footprint International and Qwarzo have reached a strategic agreement to continue the development of a PE-free paper cup, lids, and straws using the Qwarzo Technology Barrier.
The partnership aims to combine the global manufacturing and customer platform of Footprint International, a US-based materials science company focused on reducing reliance on single-use plastics, with Qwarzao’s mineral-based coating technology.
The companies spot a “growing” demand from brands, foodservice operators, and consumers for “practical alternatives” to plastic-lined paper cups.
“Footprint is committed to bringing scalable, practical, and high-performance alternatives to single-use plastics into the market,” says Corey Berends, CEO of Footprint. “Qwarzo’s mineral-based coating technology strengthens our ability to offer customers PE-free solutions that support recycling and composting pathways without compromising functionality.”
Alessio Facondo, CEO of the Italy-based Qwarzo, adds: “This agreement represents a step in accelerating the adoption of Qwarzo technology globally and in demonstrating how our proprietary mineral-based coatings can contribute to the next generation of circular paper packaging.”
Luca Panzeri, the inventor of Qwarzo, comments: “I am excited about this agreement with an innovative global leader like Footprint, which shares my life goal of building a more sustainable, plastic-free world.”
Mineral-based coating
Qwarzo highlights that its coatings are plastic-free and without intentionally added microplastics or PFAS, and are engineered to enhance paper and other substrates without compromising their circularity.
Qwarzo Technology Barrier can help customers meet regulatory requirements and sustainability goals while maintaining performance, according to Qwarzo and Footprint.
Last year, Panzeri told Packaging Insights that the company’s mineral-based coatings will become the new standard for F&B, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical packaging.
He also highlighted that Qwarzo can enable paper to gain resistance to water, oil, temperature, oxygen, and vapor without altering its recyclability or compostability.
Last year, Starbucks introduced paper cups featuring Qwarzo coating in the European market. The collaboration included Mestä Board and Transcend Packaging, and the packaging solution was rolled out in Italy, Germany, France, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, and Portugal.
Footprint and Qwarzo indicate that they intend to work together to support the commercialization and industrial scale-up of mineral-coated applications across key markets, beginning in Europe and with the potential to expand further.
