Summary of the interim review on plastic-free paper cups
The European SUP Directive requires a reduction in the consumption of single-use plastic cups by 2026, including paper cups containing plastic. In France, the AGEC law has already banned all wholly or partly plastic cups, with a trajectory of progressive reduction in the percentage of plastic in paper cups. Since January 2024, only cups containing less than 8% plastic are permitted. From 2026, only plastic-free cups should be tolerated, subject to a technical review examining feasibility.
The review shows that the European definition of "plastic" includes almost all the functional barriers used today in paperboard, including varnishes, barrier inks and modified bio-based polymers. Many European states have already adopted their own thresholds or reuse obligations, but none has yet managed to switch completely to a genuinely plastic-free paper cup.
In France, current paper cups mainly use a PE barrier that is essential for leak-tightness, heat sealing and resistance to hot and cold liquids. Manufacturers have already reduced this layer to 10–11 g/m², close to the technical limit below which leaks, micro-perforations or sealing defects appear. No alternative material currently offers equivalent performance in real conditions.
The overview of substitute solutions identifies several technologies: aqueous polymer dispersions, printed coatings, chemical grafting (including chromatogeny + PVOH), gas-phase alumina deposition, silica-based sol-gel, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) films, and plant-derived processes (Janus). Some are advanced (TRL 8-9), but none can be industrialised on a large scale for beverage cups in 2026. Several still raise regulatory questions, in particular on suitability for food contact and compliance with the SUP definition of plastic.
Technologies that are genuinely "plastic-free" remain at a pilot or pre-industrial stage, with deployment estimated around 2030 for the most promising solutions (MFC + surface treatments). In addition, doubts remain about the actual recyclability of the new materials, their cost, their barrier performance and their ability to run on existing machines.
In conclusion, the report considers a large-scale switch to fully plastic-free cups by 2026 to be unrealistic. A 2030 deadline, on the other hand, appears achievable, subject to successful industrialisation, regulatory validation and performance equivalent to current cups.
The full text can be found on the French Ministry for the Ecological Transition's website.
