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Green Products

NatureWorks® Biopolymer Cold Cups

NatureWorks LLC, a U.S. company based in the Midwest, makes sturdy, clear bioplastic cold cups using a vegetable-based biopolymer called PLA or polylactide. These U.S.-made cups offer the high-gloss appeal of traditional plastic cold cups, but are a healthier choice for people and the planet.

NatureWorks® bio-based polymers are made by harvesting starch from renewable plants, such as sustainable non-food-grade corn, and fermenting it into lactic acid. These bioplastic cups are good for cold drinks and are heat resistant to 120º F. They are also freezer safe.

PLA cups are safer than clear plastic cups made with either PVC, the second most commonly used plastic in the world, or foam cups made with polystyrene, PS. According to the National Geographic Green Guide, PVC in contact with certain foods can leach chemicals such as adipates and phthalates, which have been shown to cause birth defects and damage to organs and reproductive systems in mice. And PS can leach styrene, which is a possible human carcinogen, into food it contacts.

The production of NatureWorks® Biopolymer Cold Cups uses up to 50% less fossil fuel and emits up to 55% less greenhouse gases than does the production of traditional petroleum-derived plastic cups.

PLA cups are biodegradable and compostable in municipal compost facilities. (In home composting systems, it can take 180 days for NatureWorks® cold cups to degrade.)