Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, WinCup, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of traditional and environmentally friendly disposable cups, bowls, containers, lids and straws. The company's eight manufacturing sites in the United States are dedicated to providing high quality products and excellent customer service. In September 2020, Los Angeles-based global private investment firm Atar Capital acquired WinCup, strengthening the company's focus on sustainable solutions. One of Atar's core principles is a commitment to sustainability and investing in companies that are committed to protecting the environment.
Because of phade, the world's first paper cup lined with PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), an innovative new biopolymer derived from canola oil fermentation for home and industrial composting and marine biodegradation, can finally be truly sustainable. Developed by WinCup, the new phade(R) paper cups are an advanced alternative to traditional paper cups, which, unbeknownst to most consumers, are coated with fossil fuel plastic to hold beverages and therefore cannot be recycled or composted.
Michael Winters, president and chief revenue officer of WinCup, said, "Most consumers think the paper cup they use at their local coffee shop is sustainable; they don't know it's actually coated with petroleum-based plastic." "That means the cups will go straight into a landfill, where the gasoline plastic inside will be kept for hundreds of years." Now we have a truly sustainable solution with phade cups. Now a paper cup can actually do what it's supposed to do; return to the earth as compost within a few months of use."
Traditional disposable paper cups are lined with synthetic fossil fuel-derived plastic to prevent drinks from leaking out, but they leave a plastic residue. In contrast, phade(R) cups can be safely composted because they are made of paper and lined with PHA. The unique design of this new cup, lined with blue PHA inside, reassures consumers that unlike other paper cups, this one is truly sustainable.
We have solved a problem that has plagued this industry for years," said Brad Laporte, CEO of WinCup. This paper cup, which is both sustainable and effective for serving hot beverages. phade(R) cups are the first cups in the world to bring the groundbreaking benefits of PHA to this important category by allowing phade cups to biodegrade naturally in compost for months."
This new paper cup is the second product launched by WinCup under the phade(R) brand. phade(R) straws and stirrers have become the product of choice for consumers as well as major restaurant and hotel brands, professional sports venues, airports and other retail outlets nationwide. WinCup has received numerous awards for the development of phade(R), including the 2020 Biopolymer Innovation Award from the Plastics Industry Association and the 2021 Sustainable Solutions Foodservice Innovation Award from the National Restaurant Association. phade(R) also received four finalists or honorable mentions in five categories at Fast Company's 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards.
The growth of the phade(R) brand in the marketplace comes at a time when retailers and consumers alike are looking for viable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Recent studies show that less than 10% of plastics are recycled, while the demand for conventional plastics continues to grow. phade(R) plastic cups and straws offer a straightforward solution to replace fossil fuel plastics and curb global plastic pollution.
