Cup Stock & Paper Cups

The primary raw material for cup-stock paperboard production is virgin solid bleached sulfate (SBS) or bleached chemical wood pulp, which provides the necessary structural integrity, smoothness, and hygiene compliance for food-contact applications.

Upstream barrier coating materials traditionally depend on fossil-based polymers, specifically Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), which is laminated or extrusion-coated onto the cup-stock board to ensure liquid and heat resistance.

The global annual consumption of paperboard cup-stock has scaled extensively to accommodate out-of-home hot beverage demands, expanding multi-fold from its foundational baseline of 2.2 million tons toward over 6.8 million tons.

Polylactic Acid (PLA) has emerged as a key bio-based alternative feedstock for paper cup coatings, with major global production capacity concentrated in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific led by key entities like NatureWorks LLC (150–165 kt/year capacity) and TotalEnergies Corbion (75 kt/year capacity).