About this article
Taking proper care of your reusables is key to maximising their lifespan. To help you get the most out of your cups and containers, our Category Manager, Stiina, shares her top care tips for reusable products, including PP, PC, and composite materials.
Reusing food packaging as much as possible is essential for making it a practical alternative to disposables. Our recent study with the University of Exeter highlights that each additional reuse significantly reduces carbon emissions. But what can you do to make your reusable cups and containers last longer?
Care instruction 1: Clean shortly after use
“After using a cup or container, dispose of excess liquid like leftover tea, coffee, or soup. If possible, quickly rinse the reusables right after use. This supports a quick and easy washing process,” Stiina explains.
“If it is not possible to rinse the reusables immediately after use or collection, make sure to store the dirty products in a cool place until cleaning. For any reusable, we advise washing it within 72 hours after use.”
If there’s a longer gap between use and washing, additional washing cycles may be needed to thoroughly clean your cups or containers.
Care instruction 2: Consider the washing temperature
“Our reusables made of PP, PC, and composite materials can withstand hot liquids and can be washed in industrial dishwashers. We do provide maximum washing temperatures to ensure quality and product safety over the full product lifespan.”
Generally, the maximum washing temperature in commercial dishwashers is around 60°C to 65°C, while the industry standard rinse temperature ranges from 80°C to 85°C.
Are you considering outsourcing washing? In this article, we outline the pros and cons of washing on-site versus off-site.
Care instruction 3: Use a suitable detergent when washing
Washing PP, PC, or composite materials differs from washing ceramics or glass. Be sure to use a detergent suitable for the material and follow the recommended dosage. “Do you have questions about specific cleaning supplies? Do not hesitate to reach out, and I will support you,” Stiina says.
Care instruction 4: Keep the products in place while washing with racks
For optimal washing results, it’s important to keep your reusable cups and containers secure. Since a PP cup is lighter than glass, it’s more prone to moving or flipping during washing.
“With dishwasher racks, you keep the reusables in place during the full washing cycle: they don’t tip over, receive enough detergent, and are thoroughly rinsed in the dishwasher.”
We offer PP and steel racks in various sizes to support this process. For more information, please contact us.
Care instruction 5: Use a specific rinse aid for spotless drying results
“Especially for plastic materials like PP, I recommend using demineralised water as well as a specific rinse aid. As you can imagine, each material you wash has their own drying characteristics, and you want to avoid manually drying your reusables after washing”, Stiina explains.
“You can’t use just any type of rinse aid. We offer a concentrated rinse aid suitable for all of our PP, PC, and composite reusables that helps the products dry faster and doesn’t leave marks.”
Drying should be done in a low-moisture environment or with specialised drying equipment.
Care instruction 6: Store reusables properly
“Only visually clean, fully dried, and undamaged reusables should be stacked. Storage should be in clean containers or otherwise contaminant-free until reused.”
If your reusables won’t be used again immediately or need to be transported, we recommend storing them in closed crates, which are available as part of Verive’s product range. If you’ve opted for the PP dishwasher racks, they can also be used for cup storage.
Care instruction 7: Align your user environments and reusable products
Different user environments require different types of reusable products. At Verive, we offer a variety of reusable products in different materials and qualities to suit the needs of diverse businesses. Check out our full range here.
Need further support?
We’re here to help, along with our partners across Europe. Contact us today with your enquiry via the form or at info@verive.eu.
Here are some helpful files:
- General product care instruction (reusables)
- Washing guidelines (reusables)
- Full reusables catalogue
Stiina Ottender
“Good packaging shouldn’t be rocket science. I help make sense of the options so you can focus on what matters.”
