After more than 20 years of R&D, Qwarzo is now offering a silica-based mineral coating that replaces plastic linings in single-use products. This patented coating creates a high-performance barrier against water, grease, oxygen and heat — preserving the integrity of the container while also protecting the flavor of the beverage inside, according to the company.
"Qwarzo protects the drink from the cup and the cup from the drink," said Luca Panzeri, Qwarzo founder and CTO. "It enhances paper with resistance and food-safety features, without plastic or intentionally added microplastics or PFAS."
The new Starbucks hot cup and lid, launched in May, is now being rolled out across Europe. Developed in partnership with Transcend Packaging, Metsä Board and Qwarzo, the new takeaway solution replaces both the internal plastic liner and single-use plastic lids. The cup is made from fully traceable cellulose fibers sourced from Northern Europe, while the lid is made of Qwarzo-coated pulp fiber — strong enough to hold its shape even with hot liquids, according to the company.
"We believe that innovation must be both invisible and impactful," said Panzeri. "The Starbucks partnership shows that scalable, responsible solutions are not just possible — they're happening now. More than a billion items have been sold with Qwarzo coating between ice cream spoons, coffee stirrers, coffee cups, plates and cutlery."
The product is home compostable, recyclable with paper and compatible with existing waste infrastructure. With this design, the cup no longer requires plastic separation during recycling — a key barrier in traditional cup disposal, said Qwarzo.
Starbucks announced that the new cup is available in Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary, with expansion to the UK and Ireland expected by late 2025.
In the vending category, Lavazza Spain has adopted Qwarzo-coated cups for its public coffee vending machines in Spain in collaboration with Flo Group.
Flo Group is also producing and distributing Qwarzo-coated cups for the German market with a well-known German brand of coffee, said Qwarzo.
Grom, an Italian gelato brand owned by Unilever, was an early adopter of Qwarzo through its Qwarzo-coated paper spoons, and Venchi, an Italian chocolate and ice cream company, has purchased Qwarzo-coated cutlery.
Products with Qwarzo coating have been certified home compostable by DIN CERTCO, are recyclable as paper and are exempt from the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive. Qwarzo contains no intentionally added PFAS or microplastics, said the company.
Qwarzo received the Sustainability Leaders 2025 title from Il Corriere della Sera and Statista.