Aug 11 2010
The past several years have carried a focus of corporate and cultural evolution for New WinCup Holdings, Inc., which in 2006 acquired its foodservice packaging operations from a company that had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Today, New WinCup claims its place among national leaders in the manufacturing and distribution of foam cups, bowls and containers, charting a path of success with an even stronger belief in the benefits and future of foam.
“We are confident that we provide a product that’s superior in terms of durability, insulation, performance, and value,” said George W. Wurtz, President and Chief Executive Officer of New WinCup Holdings. “Today, more than ever, we are focused on increasing WinCup’s brand and market awareness, creating new and improved products and educating consumers on the many benefits that foam offers.”
The value of foam
Polystyrene foam has been scrutinized since the 1990s, most recently becoming the subject of legislation throughout California and several other states looking to ban foam from the foodservice industry in favor of other serviceware and packaging products. But the unknown truths about polystyrene foam, a recyclable Code 6 plastic, present a slew of advantages to secure foam’s present and future as an environmentally sound food and beverage packaging choice as well as a consumer favorite. Some interrelated benefits of foam include:
Performance – Foam leads in insulation. In a 2010 survey by Technomic Inc., 67 percent of consumers surveyed chose foam’s insulation qualities over paper and plastic. In an effort to replicate foam’s insulation performance for hot drinks, paper users often resort to adding a cardboard sleeve or double cupping, while plastic users tend to wrap layers of napkins around their cup to protect their hands. These practices are a testament to foam’s insulation performance.
Value – The value of foam can be measured in terms of performance as well as cost savings. Consumer studies continually show that foam outperforms the competition in not only insulation but also leak resistance and durability. But perhaps more remarkable is that, because the production of foam uses less materials, labor and resources than paper or plastic, foam cups typically offer a savings. By comparison, the average 16 oz. foam cup can cost consumers upwards of 2 cents, whereas the cost per cup significantly increases 20-40 percent when choosing paper or plastic.
Seasonality – One foam cup does it all. As such, foam is the obvious choice to handle any beverage, any time; whether enjoying fresh made lemonade on a blistering summer day or sipping hot cocoa by a fire on a snowy day.
Environmental – A common misconception is that the production and consumption of foam leads to non recyclable waste at the detriment of the planet. In reality, foam can be completely recycled – in the few communities where the infrastructure exist – into such varied products as office supplies, DVD casings, transport packaging, egg cartons, lunch trays, forms of energy, and many other useful items. Another underappreciated quality of foam is that, of the common foodservice materials, polystyrene foam requires the least amount of energy to produce. Also, it emits the lowest levels of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere during manufacturing.
The value of foam is a company principle supported by all 1,400 companywide employees, including the 47 employees at WinCup’s headquarters in Stone Mountain, Ga., a 218,725-square-foot manufacturing facility acquired in November 2006.