Europe's 2028 Reusable Packaging Mandate Creates a New Crisis: Who Washes the Cups?

• PR Newswire

HWASEONG, South Korea, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From , EU food service establishments offering takeaway must provide reusable packaging within a formal reuse system. Non-compliance risks fines and market restrictions. But one question remains:

The EU generated — 177.8 kg per citizen. Only 42.1% of plastic packaging was recycled. Global disposable cup demand will reach 491 billion units by 2028. The UK consumes 7 million cups daily, producing 30,000 tonnes of waste annually.

UNEP data shows reusable cups cut emissions by up to versus single-use. The EU PPWR mandates waste reduction of 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035, and 15% by 2040. But washing infrastructure does not exist in most European markets.

, a 30-year manufacturer of high-pressure washing equipment, says it has solved this. Its washes up to at 50 BAR — five times faster than manual washing — without damaging cups. It installs at the front end of existing wash lines, requiring no full-line replacement.

The system has operated in Korea for over two years, replacing per line. A unit is scheduled for delivery to Japan this October. BMI Korea holds , including lines for the world's leading bottled water brands.

Three models: (5,000 cups/hr), (1,000 cups/hr), and (1,000 lids/hr).

A: Korea — 2+ years continuous operation. Japan — delivery October 2026. 89+ installations across 28 countries.

A: Manual pre-washing is the bottleneck — staff scrub cups by hand, slow and inconsistent. The HPW-5000 automates this at 5x speed, replacing 4–5 workers per line.

BMIKOREA (BMI4R CO., LTD) specializes in high-pressure washing equipment, with 89+ installations across 28 countries.

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