Hardcups: The Sustainable Alternative to Disposable Cups at Large Events
Organizers of major events such as festivals, concerts, or carnivals are increasingly discovering ways to make their events more sustainable. It’s becoming less and less common to see festival grounds littered with plastic cups. Since January 1, 2024, the use of disposable cups for on-site consumption has even been banned. One of the permitted alternatives is the use of disposable rPET cups, which are still allowed and can theoretically be recycled. However, in practice, this often fails because the cups end up on the ground and become too contaminated to recycle. The market was in search of a better solution.
That solution lies in the use of so-called hardcups: plastic cups that can be reused—often in combination with a deposit system. Visitors are less likely to throw these cups away and are more inclined to return them at the end of the day. As a result, there is significantly less plastic waste at festivals.
The Development of the Hardcup
One of the leading players in the Netherlands responding to this trend is DrinkCup, founded by Mark Goossens. Fleur Plastics has had a successful partnership with Mark for some time through De Horeca Bazaar, supplying products like shot glasses, beer glasses, and wine glasses. De Horeca Bazaar also sells hardcups in various sizes, but they increasingly received requests from customers to rent these cups instead of buying them.
“We listened to what our customers were asking for. Combined with the new legislation, we saw an opportunity to use our hardcups more sustainably and make them available for rent to event organizers through DrinkCup,” says Mark. “Given our previous positive experience with Fleur Plastics, working together on the development and production of the cups was a logical next step.”
Demand for hardcups is huge, and DrinkCup was looking for production volumes in the millions per year. The first challenge for Fleur Plastics was therefore to scale up and optimize production speed without compromising on quality. In addition, many events want cups printed in their own branding, which posed a second challenge right away.
The Production of the Hardcup
The hardcups are produced in two sizes: 20 and 25 centiliters. Due to the importance of fast production, Fleur Plastics uses eight-cavity molds for these products. This means that eight cups are injected and produced per cycle. Since the cups can cool simultaneously, this process is eight times faster than when using a single-cavity mold. This results in higher production capacity and lower production costs.
During the development phase, extensive research was conducted into the feasibility of the mold: eight-cavity injection molding presents a challenge in ensuring even filling of each cup. This is because variations in flow, pressure, and temperature can lead to inconsistencies in quality. Temperature control in the mold is also particularly critical. Entrepreneur Mark Goossens explains: “I personally have no expertise in mold development. It’s great to be able to rely on the expertise of Fleur Plastics—they’ve taken all the worry off our hands.”
To tackle the second challenge—customized labeling—Fleur Plastics and DrinkCup partnered with an automation specialist. Personalizing the cups required a creative and fully automated solution. That solution is In-Mold Labeling (IML): applying labels inside the original mold during production.
DrinkCup’s clients—mainly beer producers, municipalities organizing city-wide events, and festival organizers—submit their own label designs. These labels are placed in a cassette within the production line. Using a robotic arm, the labels are picked up, shaped, and positioned around the hardcups inside the original mold. The back of the label then fuses with the cup during the molding process. This approach saves both time and energy. Furthermore, the label is made from the same material as the cup, making the entire product easy to recycle.
The material used for both the label and the cup is polypropylene (PP)—a lightweight, durable, scratch-resistant, and impact-resistant plastic. It is, of course, food-grade and food-safe. This also supports Fleur Plastics’ sustainability goals: the cups are dishwasher-safe and can be reused after cleaning. To further support reuse, DrinkCup is also developing a fully automated washing system, positioning itself as a full-service partner for hardcup customers.
The Result
Thanks to the implementation of a brand-new injection molding machine, an eight-cavity mold, and an automated In-Mold Labeling line, Fleur Plastics now has the capacity to produce over 40,000 hardcups per day. Producing a different personalized cup can be done quickly, as only the labels need to be changed.
DrinkCup’s sustainable cups have already been used at major festivals, during the 2024 European Championship, and by several large municipalities such as Maastricht, Sittard, Eindhoven, and Den Bosch, who are now regular customers of the hardcups. DrinkCup’s service also supports the deposit system. It’s set up so that visitors pay a deposit on their first cup. Throughout the day, when a cup is returned, they only pay for the new drink. At the end of the day, they can get their deposit back by handing in their cup. Since cups left on the ground are often picked up and returned, DrinkCup reports a loss rate of just 2–4%, some of which are even returned by visitors at later events.
Fleur Plastics is proud to contribute to a more sustainable environment where plastic solutions like these play an essential role, and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with DrinkCup. As Mark puts it: “We’ve been happy customers of Fleur Plastics for 10 years. Why would we change something that simply works?”
Over de opdrachtgever
DrinkCup is a Dutch company that rents and sells reusable plastic cups and pitchers for events, offering customized printing options. They provide additional services such as cleaning, storage, and transportation, and have developed a unique ordering app to simplify cup usage during events. All products are fully produced in-house in Brabant, and the company operates a 100% circular system aimed at making events more sustainable.
