Revolutionary EcoCup™ Single-Serve Capsule Takes First Place at Packaging Innovators Competition

The ground-breaking EcoCup™ capsule was voted MOST INNOVATIVE PRODUCT at the Packaging Innovators Competition hosted by PAC, Packaging Consortium last week in Toronto,
Ontario.  The EcoCup™ capsule, part of the RealCup™ brand portfolio,
was introduced earlier this year by Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee for
brewing loose-leaf tea in Keurig® K-Cup® compatible brewers.

Close to 200 Canadian industry executives, including suppliers, brand
owners, retailers, designers and recyclers, voted the EcoCup™ capsule #1
out of seven finalists during the interactive “A Day in the Life”
Symposium.  The symposium featured reality presentations of disruptive
innovation in the life cycle of a package, including technology and
processing, raw materials and package containers.  Each of the seven
finalists were given 10 minutes to pitch their packaging innovation and
five minutes dedicated to questions and answers.  Paul Yang, Mother Parkers’ Manager of Packaging Development and Sustainability, made the successful pitch for the EcoCup™ capsule.

The audience wasted no time in naming EcoCup™ capsules the winner after
seeing a first-hand demonstration of how EcoCup™ capsule designers have
used innovative packaging design to give consumers the ability to enjoy
the best of all worlds – the convenience of single serve, an authentic
tea experience and doing the right thing for the environment.  Consumers
can simply pull off the top with an easy-to-use tab, recycle the cup,
compost the contents and discard the lid and filter. The EcoCup™ capsule
is the first capsule that can easily be completely disassembled without
tools and that doesn’t add extra material or complexity in order to
enable this functionality. 

“This award reaffirms that our investment in product and packaging innovation is a key differentiator for Mother Parkers,” said Bill VandenBygaart,
Vice President of Business Development. “The EcoCup™ solution is a true
game-changer in the rapidly growing single-serve capsule market.”

EcoCup™ capsules with clear lids are currently used by Higgins &
Burke™ loose-leaf teas and the China Mist® lineup of blends for brewing
gourmet iced teas.  The EcoCup™ solution will be expanded to
single-serve coffee capsules in 2015, offering a packaging option that
is better for the environment as the popularity of capsule beverages
continues to grow.

About RealCup™ Brand and EcoCup™ Single-Serve Capsules:

RealCup™ brand and EcoCup™ capsules are compatible  for use with Keurig®
K-Cup®  single-serve brewers.  The single-serve capsules were developed
by Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee, one of the largest coffee and tea
manufacturers in North America. The
company combines state-of-the-art technology and new product innovation
with more than 100 years of quality and service excellence to deliver an
exceptional beverage experience in mainstream and specialty coffee,
tea, and complementary beverages. A leader in the independent
single-serve beverage industry, the RealCup™ brand strives to bring
sustainability, choice, value and quality to the consumer, both through
partner brands and through flexible licensing agreements.

Read More: K-Cup Coffee Capsule Filling Sealing Machine