What Are PHA-Lined Coffee Cups?

Every coffee cup needs a waterproof coating to make sure the cup doesn’t get soggy while you savour your morning coffee. 

Traditionally, these cup coatings have been made (partly or completely) with conventional fossil-fuel based plastic. However, this has created an ongoing challenge when it comes to end disposal. 

Until now. PHA is a new material made entirely from renewable resources and contains no fossil-fuel based plastic. The best bit? It’s set to be certified home compostable (AS5810 and NF T51-800) to Australian and European Standards so consumers can dispose of it right in their home compost bin. 

Let’s explore:

• What is PHA bioplastic?
• What are PHA-lined cups?
• How are PHA coffee cups made?
• Advantages of PHA
• Disadvantages of PHA
• How are PHA cups different from other cups?
• What applications can PHA be used for?
• How to dispose of PHA
• How can PHA products be greenwashed?
• PHA and the circular economy

Short for polyhydroxyalkanoate, PHA is a biopolymer (meaning it’s produced from living organisms, like plants, rather than fossil-based resources). It serves as a replacement for conventional plastic, boasting a similar appearance and function.

PHA resin is home compostable and marine biodegradable, so if it accidentally ends up in the sea (worst case scenario) it’ll break down significantly faster than conventional plastic.

BioPak is one of the first adopters of this new and innovative material around the world. 

PHA is the material we use to line paper coffee cups (an alternative to other linings like PLA or Aqueous). 

The paper used in each PHA-lined cup is sourced from FSCTM-certified forests. Having an FSC™ certification confirms the forest is adhering to strict environmental and social responsibilities, leading to long-term forest protection and society-wide benefits. 

At BioPak, our PHA-lined cups are set to be certified home compostable (AS5810 and NF T51-800) to Australian and European standards, due June 2024. The PHA lining is also certified marine biodegradable (ASTM D 6691). A game-changer in the compostables industry. 

Take note, a marine biodegradable certification does not mean you should throw your cup in the ocean. It means that in the worst case scenario it ends up in the ocean, it will break down significantly faster than conventional plastic. 

PHA is made through an industrial microbial fermentation process, which is more similar to brewing beer than the chemical methods used to produce other bioplastics. Essentially, we’re brewing a plastic alternative!

The fermentation process begins with renewable resources like plant sugars and vegetable oils. By putting these renewable materials through a fermentation process (using bacteria and archaea cells) we get ‘polyester granules’ made entirely from renewable resources. These polyester granules can then be used and moulded to produce a wide range of bioplastic products – a PHA coffee cup lining is one of them. 

The paper cup itself is sourced from FSCTM-certified forests, then we apply the PHA lining to it. 

This process aligns with the principles of a circular economy. 

We see PHA as a solution to a problem the industry has faced for decades: creating a plastic lining that has no fossil-fuel based plastic in the end product AND is home compostable.

Other advantages of this new material include:

• PHA will be home compostable, meaning consumers can dispose of it in their backyard compost bin. This will help ensure more products end up in a composting environment, rather than a landfill. Our PHA-lined cups are pending home compostable certification (AS5810 and NFT51-800) due June 2024. 
• PHA resin is certified marine biodegradable (ASTM D 6691). While we would never condone littering the sea, if it does end up in the sea (worst case scenario) it will break down significantly faster than conventional plastic.
• PHA is made entirely from renewable resources, like plant sugars, vegetable oils, bacteria and archaea cells. This is a viable and more sustainable alternative to using finite fossil fuel resources. 
• PHA is incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide range of applications – from foodservice to medical applications to the fishing industry. 
• Our PHA-lined cups are food safety certified
• PHA is non toxic, essential for breaking down in a natural environment

There are very few disadvantages of PHA. 

In the past, there have been concerns over cost competitiveness. Upon the initial launch, PHA-lined cups will come at a premium price (around 15% more than Aqueous) as it’s a new and innovative material. 

However, we plan for this price to level out within 12 months, eventually serving as a direct swap for Aqueous lining with no price difference. The goal is to transition all our coffee cup products across to PHA – the future of cups.  

The main difference of PHA-lined coffee cups is they contain no fossil-based plastic in the end product. They’re also soon to be certified home compostable to Australian and European Standards (AS5810 and NF T51-800). 

Here’s a quick look at PLA lining versus Aqueous lining versus PHA lining. 

Compostability:

Aqueous is certified home compostable to Australian and European Standards (AS5810 and NFT51-800).

Materials:

Aqueous is made using a unique water-based dispersion coating.

Fossil-fuel plastic:

An aqueous lining contains a small amount of fossil-based synthetic polymers (amounts so marginal that they can still be certified home compostable).

Compostability:

PLA bioplastic is certified industrially compostable (AS4736 and EN13432). A lack of infrastructure and legislation in some countries means not everyone has easy access to industrial facilities – making end of life disposal difficult.

Materials:

PLA is a bioplastic made from plant-based resources, typically fermented plant starch like corn, cassava and sugarcane.

Fossil-fuel plastic:

There is no fossil-based plastic in PLA (it’s a bioplastic). However, there was need for a new innovation, given it’s only compostable in an industrial facility.

Compostability:

PHA is pending a home compostable certification to Australian and European Standards (AS5810 and NFT51-800).

Materials:

PHA is made entirely from bio-based renewable resources, like plant sugars and vegetable oils.

Fossil-fuel plastic:

PHA contains no fossil fuel based plastic in the end product.

• Foodservice industry – like our PHA-lined coffee cups. Finally, a home compostable cup that contains no fossil-based materials. 
• Agricultural industry – PHA waste products can be used as mulching film in the agricultural industry, allowing PHA to naturally break down and return to the soil. 
• Medical – plastic is seen as a necessary part of the medical industry. Bioplastics, like PHA, present an exciting opportunity to move away from traditional plastic and toward a more environmentally friendly alternative. PHA is non toxic. 
• Fishing industry – PHA resin is certified marine biodegradable (ASTM D 6691), presenting an exciting opportunity for the fishing industry to replace conventional plastic. Note – PHA should not intentionally be thrown into the ocean, but if it does wind up there, it is a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional plastics.
• So much more – from cosmetic containers to textiles to car parts – PHA can replace conventional fossil-fuel plastic in ample scenarios. 

PHA will be certified home compostable (AS5810 and NFT51-800), meaning consumers can dispose of it in their backyard compost bin. This will help ensure more products end up in a composting environment, rather than landfill. Our compostable certification is due in June 2024. 

In the future, PHA-lined coffee cups may be used in the agricultural sector as a mulching film. This is a viable end of life solution with a direct benefit – mulching film can be used to prevent weeds from competing with crops, as well as temperature regulation and moisture retention. PHA can then be ploughed back into the soil to naturally break down. It’s important to note, a supply chain for turning PHA into mulching film has been largely unexplored in the markets we operate in. However, we hope with more time and a greater volume of PHA products, this becomes another viable disposal option. 

Certification logo

This home compostable certification logo verifies a product’s claim of compostability. 

Certification type

The certification indicates the composting type and applicable region. To display the logo, materials must pass strict NF-T51-800 tests at accredited Internationally recognised labs.

BioPak’s licence number

The unique licence numbers show that a specific business’ product range has passed the testing for compostability. You can search for the numbers on the DinCertco or TuvAustria Databases.

It depends on the end disposal method, but PHA-lined cups will break down significantly faster than conventional plastic. 

To achieve a home compostable certification (AS5810 and NF T51-800) products are required to break down sufficiently within 180 days and leave no toxic residue behind. 

PHA-lined cups have demonstrated at least 90% biodegradation in marine settings within 180 days (source) – which can pose less risk to marine life and ecosystems than conventional plastic that lingers in the ocean for years. In saying that, marine environments are not the ideal end of life disposal method for PHA. A compost environment is. 

Paper lined with bioplastic (in this case, PHA) is not always accepted in mixed or paper recycling streams. Always check with your location area for more information.

PHA resin is certified marine biodegradable (ASTM D 6691) – but this is not a licence to litter. This is only considering the worst case scenario where it winds up in the ocean. 

Landfill should be a last resort disposal method for certified compostable packaging – organic waste in a landfill environment emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas. 

However, compostable packaging going to landfill is still better than traditional plastic packaging going to landfill. That’s because it’s a more sustainable production process – PHA is made from renewable resources, whereas traditional plastic is made from fossil-based resources. 

To ‘adhere’ to compostability standards is not the same as being certified. Look for the home compostable logo on the product, and more importantly, the company’s specific licence number. 

Some manufacturers want to claim PHA is 100% plant based, although that’s not entirely true. It uses bacteria and archaea in the fermentation process – that’s why we opt for the term bio-derived or bio-based instead.

PHA is a synthetic polymer, which is technically still a plastic (a bioplastic). As it contains zero fossil fuel-based plastic, it’s a better option than conventional plastic

Our PHA-lined cups are aligned with the principles of a circular economy – a way of living where materials are treated as precious resources to be continually reused or regenerated. 

In the case of PHA, it starts with rapidly renewable resources, uses fermentation through bacteria and archaea cells, and eventually returns to the soil as mulch or in a home composting environment – which can then be used to nurture and grow more plants. 

Creating a home compostable coffee cup, with no fossil-based plastic, is a giant step toward a truly circular economy. 

• Why We Love PHA
• Compostable Vs Recyclable: Which Is Better For The Environment?
• Why Do Certifications Matter?