The Gizeh group is one of the largest plastic-converting companies in Europe. Gizeh specializes in the production of rigid packaging for the food and cosmetic industries. Each year, the company produces around one billion plastic units that are shipped to 30 different countries around the globe. Approximately 15 million of these plastic units are linked to the decorated reusable cup business.
When a hobby runs out of hand
"This actually started as something of a hobby for the company," explains Frederic Jung, Business Manager at Gizeh Packaging. "At the time, we were investigating increased sustainability through reusable items. We were using a digital printing line to decorate them; it turned out to be relatively easy to produce small amounts. That’s why we started producing reusable cups for small events."
It soon became clear that reusable cups have a promising future. With greater restrictions being placed on single-use plastic cups and an increased focus on sustainability, the customer base expanded. Larger orders began to appear. The high cost of inks, a desire for flexible, lightning-fast production and their own high standards sent Gizeh looking for an alternative.
High-quality printing for reusable cups
"The problem with a lot of printing techniques was that the decorations would fade away. Or they would be scratched in the dishwasher and the design would peel off," says Frederic. "That is not what Gizeh stands for. We wanted to provide a high-quality, durable product with excellent printing decorations that would stand the test of time."
Gizeh turned to MCC Verstraete. They had already worked together for years and Gizeh felt sure they would be able to offer suitable printing options for reusable cups. "Thanks to MCC Verstraete and their innovative Reverse IML printing, we are able to produce cups that look perfect - almost new - even after going through a hundred washing cycles. You don’t find this with every cup on the market."
We see this as part of our commitment to reducing our ecological footprint. But it’s not all we have done. Our cups are made from polypropylene. It’s fully recyclable. This is another way in which our reusable cups are an important step forward.
Frederic Jung, Business Manager at Gizeh Packaging
Keepsakes
The reusable cups became increasingly popular. As well as private events and marketing agencies, breweries, restaurants and major sporting clubs began placing orders. Before long, sporting events and music festivals were on the customer list.
"The price of merchandise at events is often very high," says Frederic. "People also print their own tickets, so there aren’t really ticket stubs anymore. Instead, people are keeping their cups as souvenirs. They buy a cup every year they attend an event. And every year, the cups have a different motif or picture. They make excellent souvenirs at a decent price. They’re memories."
Fast delivery
Many of these events aren’t planned very far in advance. As such, quick production and fast delivery are almost as important as quality when it comes to reusable cups.
"We often have to produce and ship large orders in a short time," says Frederic. "We worked together with our suppliers and MCC Verstraete to create a suitable business model," says Frederic. "Now we have a production chain that makes it possible to have everything ready and delivered, in large volumes, extremely quickly."
Environmentally friendly
The speedy delivery is partly the result of the shape of the cup. Gizeh designed it to save space in transport and storage. The cups stack more efficiently, without compromising on stability, the look or any other aspect of the quality in any way.
"All our different cups - 200, 250, 300, 400 and 500 ml volumes - stack to improve logistic efficiency," says Frederic. "We see this as part of our commitment to reducing our ecological footprint. But it’s not all we have done. Our cups are made from polypropylene. It’s fully recyclable. The single-use plastic cups you used to see at festivals contain a lot of polystyrene. They’re not recyclable. The same goes for paper cups with a plastic coating inside. This is another way in which our reusable cups are an important step forward."
Success
Both Gizeh and MCC Verstraete believe the partnership is a great success.
"Gizeh are offering a wonderful product," says Stijn Quintyn, Regional Sales Manager Europe at MCC Verstraete. "We are especially happy to think that our Reverse IML technology has played an important part in making their reusable solutions successful." "The feedback we are receiving is more than great, it’s awesome," says Frederic. "There are a lot of enquiries from people who know our products from other events. This feedback makes us happy and at the same time proud and motivated to keep moving forward."
