Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation has revealed that PTT MCC Biochem Company Limited, a 50-50 joint venture between MCC and PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited, has been recognized as the winner of the NextGen Cup Challenge for its New Gen BioPBS™ Coated Cup.
The winning product is a paper cup coated with BioPBS™ which has unique recyclability and compostability.
The NextGen Cup Challenge is the first initiative by the NextGen Consortium, with Starbucks and McDonald’s as founding partners, other food-service industry leaders as supporting partners and WWF as an advisory partner. The NextGen Consortium aims to give solutions for global issues of single-use food packaging waste. The NextGen Cup Challenge seeks to identify and commercialize the next generation fiber cup to be recoverable on a global scale.
BioPBS™ is a plant derived biodegradable polymer developed by MCC and manufactured by PTT MCC. This environmentally friendly material is broken down by living microorganisms in soil and decomposes into water and carbon dioxide. In addition, it can be easily processed on facilities for existing resins.
Paper cups using BioPBS™ have been on the market for more than three years and are proven to be industrially compostable and recyclable. The development of NewGen BioPBS™ Cup, an upgrade of the existing BioPBS™ cup, which additionally offers home compostability. It was named as one of the 12 winners from 480 participants in the Challenge.
Moving toward the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group’s vision, “Realizing KAITEKI*,” MCC continues to accelerate research and development and expand applications of biodegradable and plant-derived products including BioPBS™ to help establish a recycling-oriented society and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
*KAITEKI means “the sustainable well-being of people, society and our planet Earth.” It is an original concept of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group that proposes a way forward in the sustainable development of society and the planet, in addition to serving as a guide for solving environmental and social issues.