With logos and marketing messages imprinted onto cups in a range of settings and locations, the disposables market has assumed something of a ‘dual role’.

Guy Jacques of Nupik Flo agrees: “Custom printing can indeed aid a business’ identity and an operator's brand image. It is fully possible to use the printed cups as a tool to support a marketing program or promotion. As for the effectiveness, that’s very difficult to tell - the only way is to monitor feedback from the point when the products are out on the street.”

Nupik Flo can print up to 6 colours on plastic cups, up to photographic quality. Huhtamaki meanwhile, can customise its double wall paper cups with a company name, logo or promotional message.

“There is certainly a strong emphasis on recyclability in the market place and the majority of our products can be recycled by either standard methods or as part of biodegradable recycling methods,” says Guy, adding: “The problem is whilst the industry demands it, the infrastructure to actually recycle the products isn’t quite where it should be in comparison to the rest of Europe.”

RPC Tedeco-Gizeh’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing has been underlined by significant weight reductions across its standard ranges of vending cups. Using WRAP CO2e emission guidelines, this initiative equates to an approximate annual saving of 2314 tCO2e.

The company has quantified the benefits of its optimised B’Green 150 ml vending cup, confirming that it delivers a plastic saving of 18% compared to standard market offerings for the same type of cup; again based on WRAP figures, this equals a saving of approximately 842 tCO2e per year. The optimised logistics achieved by a lower stacking height also enables a 33% increase in cups per lorry-load for further savings.

“Thanks to B’Green, vending operators can be confident in lower delivery costs and CO2 emissions compared to standard cups, helping them to complement their own sustainability initiatives,” insists Eric Chavent, Sales & Marketing Director of RPC Tedeco-Gizeh.

All in the packaging?

Is the material of the cup really that important to the consumer experience? “It can be vital,” says Guy, but it depends entirely on the market place. “Paper has made an impact on the market for raising the perceived quality of the drinking experience to compete on a cost effective level against that of the coffee shops. Both plastics (still the largest volume of cups used in the UK) and paper have their places and uses.”

The Double Wall paper cup from Huhtamaki features deeper embossed definition for optimum insulation, making it more comfortable to hold - perfect for those on the go. Its premium print finish ensures perfect presentation time-after-time, says the company.

Available in a choice of stock designs, ‘Cuppoccino’ and ‘Natural’, in a range of sizes – 9oz, 12oz and 16oz – Huhtamaki Double Wall cups also eliminate the need to double-cup or use sleeves, minimising the amount of stock stored on-site.

A single solution

An all-in-one solution, Tetley On The Go has hit the three million mark, selling over 3.2 million cups since launch. Containing virtually everything caterers need to offer a takeaway tea service, Tetley’s convenient On The Go solution can really get your tea sales moving!

Peter Haigh, Brand Development Manager at Tetley Commented: “We developed the On The Go Case with practicality and simplicity in mind, to save caterers time and money on sourcing cups, lids and teabags separately and make offering a quality tea to takeaway a quick and easy process. The three million cups sold is a great achievement and tribute to what a useful, must-have the product is.”

The On The Go Case contains 300 Tetley Drawstring tea bags, accompanied by 300 Tetley branded double wall cups and non-spill ‘sip lids’ – all in one easy-to-store, easy-to-use package. All you have to do is add the milk and water - it really couldn’t be simpler to set up a successful takeaway service, as the million sales suggests!

With the prominent Tetley logo and bold blue colour, as well as the guarantee of the Ethical Tea Partnership logo on the cups, your customers will be assured that they are drinking a top quality, ethically sourced cup of tea. To further boost takeaway tea sales, free On The Go point of sale merchandise is also available.

The health issue

Washing up mugs and making a round of tea for the office takes time, time that could be spent generating revenue for a company instead. There is also the hygiene issue to contend with - if one person in the office has flu, the chances of it spreading are relatively high as it takes more than a splash of soapy water to get rid of germs. While the use of disposable cups will undoubtedly reduce this risk, the machines themselves must be kept clean with other disposable products.

Aqua Cure has launched a new sanitizer designed for use on the external surfaces of coolers and vending machines. Aqua Dosa S11 Surface Spray with Byotrol is made with an advanced new formulation 100 times more effective than bleach. It’s also much safer to use than bleach and will not dry out or damage skin.

It is also more effective than alcohol based sanitisers having been proven to work hours or even days after it has dried in tests on listeria - it has already picked up a Best New Product Award from the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology.

Aqua Dosa S11 Surface Spray will also be available as part of Aqua Cure’s Aqua Dosa Sani Kit Range.

Designed for engineers to offer the customer during service visits these innovative Sani Kits are primarily for cooler taps and drip trays but are also suitable for vending machines and any other external surfaces. The kits can be specified to contain various combinations of Aqua Dosa, wipes, gloves and cleaning pads to ensure that your customer keeps germ free (and therefore absence free) premises and you have a lucrative income stream outside existing maintenance contracts.

A cost effective marketing tool, investing more thought into ‘throw away’ items could be one of the most important decisions you ever make.

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