Borealis has announced the successful conclusion of a reusable cup pilot at K 2025, a trade fair for plastics and rubber.
The pilot project involved 50,000 durable, lightweight reusable cups made from Borealis’ foamable polypropylene, produced using chemically recycled feedstock from OMV’s ReOil technology, and supported by value chains that included contributions from Bockatech, Faerch, MCC Global IML and ARBURG.
The cups were used to serve hot and cold drinks across all restaurants, bars, and food trucks at the fairground. They were also available from the coffee corner at the Borealis and Borouge stand, and from the MCC Global IML stand. A dedicated collection and cleaning system, including around 50 collection bins, was set up to enable the cups to be washed and returned to use within hours.
“Introducing a cup return system across an event as large and complex as K 2025 was a major step for us,” said Thomas Franken, director of K, Messe Düsseldorf. “It showed that visitors are ready to engage with circular solutions, and that large-scale reuse can work in practice. The insights from this pilot will help shape our discussions about future approaches.”
“We’re proud to have led this initiative in partnership with Messe Düsseldorf and our partners across the value chain,” said Philip Knapen, Borealis application development and technical service manager, consumer products. “Together, we’ve shown that it’s possible to implement circular systems even in large, complex settings – and that collaboration is the key to making them work.”
The scout groups have received the cups already in November. The next phase saw the handover of the donated cups end of December 2025 to Diakonie Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, attended by Thomas Franken (Messe Düsseldorf), Philip Knapen (Borealis), Dzenita Antunovic (Borealis), Mario Nickel, the CEO of Fortesnickel, and Sonja Laudin from Diakonie Düsseldorf.
“We were delighted to help Borealis and Messe Düsseldorf find a meaningful next life for these reuseable cups,” said Mario Nickel. “Seeing them repurposed for a good cause is the perfect end to this ambitious project.”
