Qwarzo expands mineral-based, PFAS- free barrier coatings in Europe

Qwarzo, an Italy-based packaging material company, has equipped Starbucks and Lavazza with its coating technology, increasing its expansion into the European market.

Qwarzo produces a silica-based mineral coating that can replace plastic linings in single-use products. The patented coating protects against water, grease, oxygen, and heat.

Luca Panzeri, founder and chief technology officer at Qwarzo, says: “The Starbucks partnership shows that scalable, responsible solutions are not just possible — they’re happening now. Over a billion items have been sold with Qwarzo coating on ice cream spoons, coffee stirrers, cups, plates, and cutlery.”

“Qwarzo protects the drink from the cup and the cup from the drink.It enhances paper with resistance and food-safety features, without plastic, or intentionally added microplastics or PFAS.”

Starbucks’ new hot cup and lid launched in May 2025 and is now being rolled out across Europe. Developed in collaboration with Transcend Packaging, Metsä Board, and Qwarzo, the takeaway solution replaces internal plastic lines and single-use plastic lids made of Qwarzo-coated pulp fiber. 

Coffee cup success

In addition to equipping Starbucks with its mineral coating, Lavazza Spain has adopted Qwarzo-coated cups for its public coffee vending machines in collaboration with Flo Group, a packaging distributor.

Products with Qwarzo coating are home compostable certified by the German Institute for Standardization, recyclable as paper, and exempt from the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive. 

“Qwarzo contains no intentionally added PFAS or microplastics. Its performance is achieved without compromising taste, safety, or recyclability,” says the company. 

Recently, Huhtamaki released a recyclable single-coated paper cup for yogurt and dairy products. The ProDairy packaging solution has a plastic content below 10% and includes a seal and lid to fit the flat rim, keeping the product fresh.