Borealis and Messe Düsseldorf have concluded a pilot of a comprehensive reusable cup system at K 2025, described as the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber. For the first time in the history of this event, and of any event held at the Messe Düsseldorf fairgrounds, a full-scale reusable cup system was implemented, aiming to reduce waste and to test, under real conditions, a circular economy model for large events.
The pilot involved 50,000 durable, lightweight reusable cups made from Borealis foam polypropylene, produced using chemically recycled feedstock from OMV’s ReOil technology. The project was carried out in cooperation with value chain partners, including Bockatech, Faerch, MCC Global IML and Arburg. The cups were used to serve hot and cold drinks in all restaurants, bars and food trucks across 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 circulation within a few hours.
"Introducing a cup return system across an event as large and complex as K 2025 was a major step for us," says Thomas Franken, Director of K at Messe Düsseldorf. "It showed that visitors are ready to engage with circular solutions, and that large-scale reuse can work in practice. The insights from this pilot will help shape our discussions about future approaches."
After the trade fair closed, a significant number of cups remaining on-site had been collected and washed, making them ready for reuse. From a pool 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. Coordination of the donations was supported by the marketing agency Fortesnickel.
From left: Thomas Franken (Messe Düsseldorf), Sonja Laudin (Diakonie Düsseldorf), Dzenita Antunovic (Borealis), Philip Knapen (Borealis) and Mario Nickel (Fortesnickel) handing over reusable cups to Diakonie Düsseldorf
Material value and cup management after the trade fair
The remaining cups, recovered from residual waste or identified as damaged, are mechanically recycled at the mtm plastics facility in Germany, part of the Borealis Group. The recycled material is to be used as high-quality feedstock for new applications. In this way, the project covered both the reuse phase and material recycling of the units withdrawn from circulation.
"We’re proud to have led this initiative in partnership with Messe Düsseldorf and our partners across the value chain," says Philip Knapen, Application Development and Technical Service Manager Consumer Products at Borealis. "Together, we’ve shown that it’s possible to implement circular systems even in large, complex settings, and that collaboration is the key to making them work."
The scout groups received the cups already in November. The next phase involved the handover of the donated cups at the end of December 2025 to Diakonie Düsseldorf. The handover was attended by Thomas Franken from Messe Düsseldorf, Philip Knapen and Dzenita Antunovic from Borealis, Mario Nickel, CEO of Fortesnickel, and Sonja Laudin from Diakonie Düsseldorf.
"We were delighted to help Borealis and Messe Düsseldorf find a meaningful next life for these reusable cups," says Mario Nickel. "Seeing them repurposed for a good cause is the perfect end to this ambitious project."
Cups designed for reuse: lightweight, durable and made with chemically recycled feedstock using OMV’s ReOil technology
Lessons for large-scale reuse systems
Implementing the project at an event as large and intensively visited as K shows that reusable systems can deliver tangible results when they are supported by the entire value chain, from the plastics producer to the fairground operator and logistics partners. The experience gathered is intended to serve as a starting point for further discussions on designing circular packaging solutions and return systems for large events.
The organisers emphasise that the introduction of a coherent collection, washing and reuse infrastructure, as well as adequate communication with event participants, is crucial for the effectiveness of such systems. The pilot at K 2025 represents a practical test of solutions based on plastics designed for reuse and recycling, using both chemically recycled feedstock and mechanical recycling at the end of the use phase.
