Recyclable coffee cup with integrated lid
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The widespread use of disposable coffee cups with mixed paper and plastic liners poses significant challenges for recycling, leading to contamination of recycling streams and accumulation of waste in landfills, with specialized recycling processes being costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A disposable cup with an integrated hinged lid, made entirely from wood or cellulosic fiber pulp-based materials, eliminating the need for a polyethylene plastic coating and allowing for a single recycling process for the entire product.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a polyethylene plastic coating is applied to paper cups to prevent leakage, then the cup can hold liquid contents, but the paper portion cannot easily break down during recycling and contaminates recycling streams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the polyethylene plastic coating from the paper cup, extracting the problematic component that prevents recycling. The cup is redesigned to use only paper materials, eliminating the contamination issue in recycling streams while maintaining functional requirements through alternative design approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition parameter from a composite paper-plastic structure to a pure paper structure. This parameter change enables the cup to be processed in standard paper recycling facilities without requiring specialized separation processes for mixed materials.
2Reliability
If mixed material disposable coffee cups are used to maintain functionality, then the cup can hold liquid, but specialized recycling processes are required which are costly and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by using a single material type (paper) for the entire cup structure, eliminating mixed materials. This allows the cup to be processed efficiently in standard paper recycling facilities alongside other paper products, dramatically improving recycling productivity and eliminating the need for specialized processing.
3Reliability
If a separate plastic lid is used with the paper cup, then the lid provides sealing function, but it complicates recycling and amplifies environmental harm
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cup and lid into a single integrated paper structure, eliminating the need for a separate plastic lid. The lid portion is formed from the same paper material as the cup body, allowing the entire assembly to be recycled together in standard paper recycling streams without requiring separation or specialized processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A disposable cup with an integrated hinged lid is provided. The disposable cup can be unitarily formed entirely of a wood, cellulosic, or other type of fiber pulp-based material that is readily recyclable using a single recycling process for the entire product. The entire product can be recycled using the same recycling process, as compared to conventional disposable cups which can require the separation of the product into its various components, each of which may require a different type of recycling process.