Cup to cup
R-Hybrid is FLO's new vending cup that combines the revolutionary Hybrid concept with the use of recycled PS.
This is a significant innovation in the field of Food Packaging as it paves the way for the reuse of rigid polystyrene in food containers, ensuring that it retains its original value. R-Hybrid, in fact, is also fully recyclable and thus creates a more virtuous and efficient all-food grade recycling system.
R-hybrid ensures an efficient reuse of resources, and a consequent lower use of virgin material which, combined with the use of the innovative hybrid concept, allows for a product with a lower overall environmental impact and a smaller carbon footprint.
This is a significant innovation in the field of Food Packaging as it paves the way for the reuse of rigid polystyrene in food containers, ensuring that it retains its original value. R-Hybrid, in fact, is also fully recyclable and thus creates a more virtuous and efficient all-food grade recycling system.
R-hybrid ensures an efficient reuse of resources, and a consequent lower use of virgin material which, combined with the use of the innovative hybrid concept, allows for a product with a lower overall environmental impact and a smaller carbon footprint.
The project
The R-Hybrid project was conducted in collaboration with Styrenics Circular Solution (SCS), a European association comprising the entire PS packaging supply chain -from raw material producers to post-consumer recyclers, and with the Fraunhofer Institute, Europe's leading applied research center. The partnership with these players led to the establishment of a supply chain consortium focused on the creation of a protocol that defines all procedures for the use of recyclate, from the production process of the second raw material to the challenge test on the finished product.
Quality and food safety
R-Hybrid cups are made by thermoforming, with a sandwich-type ABA multilayer structure, which contains r-PS in the inner state (B) and virgin PS in the outer layer (A). The latter, which is in contact with the food acts as a safe functional barrier, ensuring food safety for the consumer. The quality of the barrier is guaranteed by strict challenge tests conducted on the finished product according to criteria defined by EFSA.
