UBITE makes a biobased reusable cup and needed the numbers to back up their sustainability claims. We built a comparative lifecycle analysis and dynamic impact model to show exactly how the Zerocup performs against paper cups, PP cups, and porcelain, in both hospitality and airline settings.
How it actually went
Written by the person who did the work, not by marketing.
"It's more sustainable." That's a claim a lot of companies make. UBITE actually wanted to prove it.
UBITE makes the Zerocup, a reusable, biobased cup designed to replace single-use plastic and paper cups in restaurants, hotels, and airlines. Their customers needed more than a good story. They needed data. Luckily, LCAs are exactly New Alchemists' (biobased) cup of tea.
We built a full comparative lifecycle analysis, modelling the Zerocup's environmental footprint from raw material extraction all the way through to disposal. And comparing it with four alternatives: a standard PLA reusable cup, a reusable polypropylene cup, a single-use paper cup with plastic coating, and a porcelain cup. We ran two scenarios: one for hospitality settings like restaurants and hotels, and one for in-flight airline use, where the cup's weight on the plane adds a whole extra variable.
The results:
In hospitality, the Zerocup came out on top. When reused 50 times, it produces significantly less CO₂-eq per serving than any of the alternatives: 14 times lower than a single-use paper cup with plastic coating, and 3 times lower than a reusable PP cup. After just two uses, it already outperforms paper.
For airlines, the picture is more nuanced. The Zerocup has up to 56% lower impact than paper cups on short flights (under 500 km) and stays ahead up to around 2,500 km. Beyond that, the added in-flight weight starts to tip the balance. A finding worth knowing, and exactly the greenwash-free insight we're after.
A model, not just a report:
Rather than a static PDF, we built a dynamic model with adjustable inputs, so UBITE can tailor the analysis for any client, any region, or any scenario. Switch between hospitality and in-flight, adjust the number of reuses, change the washing setup, or model different end-of-life treatments. The data stays transparent, the methodology stays rigorous, and UBITE walks into every sales conversation with something most competitors can't offer: proof.
Check out their online tool here: https://ubite.com/zerocup-calculator
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