Borealis and Messe Düsseldorf conclude successful reusable cup pilot at K 2025

Borealis shares the successful conclusion of a groundbreaking reusable cup pilot at K 2025. For the first time in the event’s history, and at any event held at Messe Düsseldorf, a comprehensive reusable cup system was implemented, cutting waste and offering a practical blueprint for advancing circularity at large-scale events.

(From left) Handover of the donated cups at the end of December 2025, attended by Thomas Franken, Director of K from Messe Düsseldorf, Sonja Laudin from Diakonie Düsseldorf, Dzenita Antunovic from Borealis, Philip Knape, Borealis Application Development and Technical Service Manager Consumer Products, and Mario Nickel from FORTESNICKEL.

The reusable cups.

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 a wider value chain 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.

After the fair closed, a significant number of cups left on-site had been used, collected and washed, making them ready for reuse. From a total of around 20,000 cups, more than 4,000 were donated to scout groups and smaller social projects in Düsseldorf, while a larger share of almost 15,000 cups was donated to Diakonie Düsseldorf.

Remaining cups recovered from residual waste or identified as damaged are mechanically recycled at mtm plastics in Germany, part of the Borealis Group, to create high-quality feedstock for new applications.