A new dimension in beer is the environment-friendly bioplastic mug. The cup, which has recently come onto the market, has aroused great attention and interest.

The Belgian Alken-Maes brewery served about 1.5 million bioplastic mugs of beer at music festivals around Belgium in August. The biomug proved to be a practical and environment-friendly means of reducing the waste that is inevitably created at festivals.

Behind the mug lies a raw material, NatureWorks PLA, from the Huhtamäki Group, which specializes in the packaging sector. It is produced by chopping and separating a plastic-like raw material from plant starch. Products manufactured from this raw material are totally transparent and seem like traditional plastic.

Complete product series

During the autumn Huhtamäki has prepared its production line to meet the growing demand for packaging materials made out of bioplastic. A complete BioWare product series based on the raw material was launched at the BRAU Beviale Trade Fair in Germany in the middle of November.

The product series now includes fibre-based plates that have been produced entirely from the leftovers of the paper cup and plate production. The series also has several different-sized cold-drink goblets, a salad bowl and wooden knives and forks.

The products are based on renewable natural resources and can be composted. Besides beer, they are suited to all cold foods and drinks. So far the series has been directed mainly at operators in the food service chain, but the customer base will be expanded in the future. The main markets at this stage are in Europe, principally Germany, France and Great Britain.

>> www.huhtamaki.com

The plastic beer mug is now a biomug.