Packaging with Purpose
Product Categories at Transcend
Led by People Who Believe in the Products
At Transcend, we don’t just list products - we champion them. Each product category on our website is introduced and supported by a Category Ambassador - someone from within the business who believes passionately in what that product offers and why it matters.
Our ambassadors bring technical insight, customer knowledge, and personal conviction. They're not just selling it - they’ve helped shape it. And they’re here to guide you through how our products solve real-world challenges for foodservice and hospitality operators.
Hot Cups
Category Ambassador: Clare Tomalin
Head of Customer Partnerships – Hot Cup Division
“T-Eco wasn’t just a product launch -it was a complete reset for what a sustainable cup should be.”
The paper coffee cup has long been a battleground for sustainability. PE-lined cups are functional but difficult to recycle. Compostable alternatives are often mislabelled or misunderstood. The challenge? Designing a solution that performs commercially, complies with ever-tightening legislation, and genuinely reduces environmental impact.
Clare Tomalin led the commercial development of T-Eco - Transcend’s next-generation plastic-free hot cup. Taking the product from concept to full-scale production, Clare balanced manufacturing realities, evolving regulation, customer feedback, and brand ambition to deliver a cup built for both scale and substance.
Today, Clare heads up our hot cup category, supporting foodservice operators, QSRs, and coffee brands in making the right switch - and ensuring they stay ahead of compliance, customer expectation, and performance demands.
What We Offer
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T-Eco Cup - Plastic-free, recyclable, and independently certified
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Chain of custody certified board with Qwarzo™ mineral barrier (no PE, no PLA)
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Recyclable in the paper waste stream
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Grease and moisture resistant, with no polymer coating
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Available in 8oz, 12oz, 16oz, and 20oz formats
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Optional fibre lids – plastic-free, recyclable, and matching
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Custom print and branding, low MOQs
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Manufactured in the UK and Italy – built for European scale
T-ECO™ PE Free Cup
What began as a challenge became the blueprint for the future of hot cup design.
T-Eco was engineered to meet the highest standards of sustainability, functionality, and compliance. With full recyclability, no plastic linings, and robust food safety credentials, it delivers performance without compromise.
T-Eco has been designed to meet:
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The EU Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD)
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Recyclability target1s without the need for specialist collection infrastructure
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Operational performance across temperature, lid fit, stackability, and storage
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Customer expectations around look, feel, and brand experience
Following extensive trials and technical evaluations across multiple markets, T-Eco is now in full production with wide-scale rollout across Europe planned for 2025.
Why It Matters
Hot cups are high-volume, high-visibility items. Getting them right is about more than materials - it’s about legislation, logistics, perception, and performance.
Clare brings all those elements together. Her role is to ensure every claim is backed, every standard met, and every customer satisfied - from the first pour to the final bin.
As Clare puts it:
“This category moves fast - but there’s no room for shortcuts. You have to back up every claim, meet every standard, and deliver every time.”
Paper Straws
Category Ambassador: Stefan Nenadovic
European Sales Manager – Paper Straws
“For us, a paper straw is not just a switch from plastic — it’s a commitment to performance, reliability, and responsibility.”
Transcend brought paper straw manufacturing back to Europe for the first time in 50 years. We started with a single machine in Wales and now run multi-line production across Wales, Italy, and Serbia. Our paper straws are used by some of the world’s biggest QSR chains, cinemas, and retailers — all looking for a plastic-free solution that doesn’t compromise on function.
Stefan Nenadovic leads our QSR and retail straw category. Based in Serbia, he brings a hands-on understanding of how to make, certify, and supply millions of straws to customers across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. He works closely with brands to ensure each straw fits their product, cup size, delivery schedule, and sustainability targets.
What We Offer
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Full range of diameters from 3.5mm to 12mm — for water, smoothies, bubble tea & more
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All standard lengths (140mm, 200mm, 240mm) with custom options available
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2-ply, 3-ply, and 4-ply construction depending on drink time and durability needs
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Wrapped and unwrapped options — for hygiene, tray service, or takeaway
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Retail and QSR packaging formats from 10 to 500 straws per pack, plain or fully branded
Built to Perform
Our straws don’t just meet regulations — they perform. With advanced glues, specialised coatings for lip feel, and continuous NPD, we’ve built a range that stands up in cinemas, fast food outlets, and high-volume drinks service.
Recent innovations include:
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Maverick glue – delivers up to 20% longer in-drink life while remaining compostable and recyclable
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Qwarzo™ coated straws – smoother lip feel and added rigidity
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Improved print and branding options – including two-colour wrap printing and full straw logo application
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Custom developments – for breathalysers, industrial applications, or special events
Why It Matters
Choosing the right straw isn’t just about diameter - it’s about durability, lip feel, branding, compliance, and logistics. Our job is to take that complexity off your hands and deliver the right product, at the right time, every time.
As Stefan says:
““We make it simple - the right straw, the right pack, certified, and on your shelf when you need it.”
Industrial Straws
Category Ambassador: Gabriel Fysh
Head of Customer Partnerships – Hot Cup Division
“If we hadn’t matched the plastic straw’s performance, we’d have never replaced it.”
Mark Mitchell
Industrial straws are among the most technically demanding products in our portfolio — and some of the most quietly transformational. Designed for drinks pouches, aseptic cartons, foil-topped cups, and bottling lines, they must perform flawlessly across millions of units, multiple formats, and automated systems worldwide.
As Transcend’s Commercial Lead, Gabriel Fysh oversees the strategy and growth of this critical product category. He is supported by a network of expert consultants — with Mark Mitchell leading technical development across Europe and beyond. With decades of experience and deep relationships with partners like Coca-Cola, Refresco, Nestlé, and machine manufacturers including Tetra Pak and Lamipak, Mark ensures Transcend’s industrial straws meet the expectations of both brand owners and bottlers.
The key breakthrough? A 4.2mm outer diameter paper straw — a true like-for-like replacement for plastic that required no CapEx investment for bottlers or co-packers. Just a drop-in solution, designed to keep supply chains intact and customers compliant.
What We’ve Solved
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Matched plastic straw dimensions on outer and inner diameters
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Maintained inner bore size to preserve the drinking experience
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Developed bendable U-Bend straws that won’t clog, crack, or split
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Engineered piercing tips at a precise 42–45° for pouch applications
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Scaled production across Europe with machine partners like IMA
What We’ve Added
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Qwarzo™-coated straws for improved strength and a smoother lip feel
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High-rigidity straws for use with HDPE lids and multi-layer laminates
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Adhesive and coating systems tuned for pierceability and performance
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Tailored formats for smoothies, foil-sealed cups, and complex packs
Why It Matters
Plastic straws may be gone, but the demands haven’t changed.
Industrial straws have to run - on machines, in packs, across countries.
Transcend’s industrial range gives global drink brands a compliant, scalable, supply-chain-friendly solution. No retooling. No shortcuts. Just better material, doing the same job - cleaner.
As Mark Mitchell puts it:
“When we design a straw, we’re not just thinking about the sip — we’re thinking about the supply chain.”
Wet Moulded Fibre (WMF)
Category Ambassador: Justin Bailes
Managing Director – Transcend Fibre
“If you’re going to replace a plastic lid, it has to behave like one. This isn’t about ticking boxes - it’s about getting it right for the customer.”
At Transcend, we believe replacing plastic isn’t about good intentions — it’s about better performance. That’s why our Wet Moulded Fibre (WMF) range is designed not just to tick the sustainability box, but to outperform the alternatives.
The Hero Product
Our flagship pressed fibre lid is purpose-built to replace plastic sipper lids for hot drinks. It’s designed for commercial scale, sealing integrity, and a premium customer experience — with none of the plastic.
Enhanced by a Qwarzo™ mineral coating on the lip area, the lid offers a smooth, durable, and comfortable mouthfeel — avoiding the fuzziness or moisture breakdown found in lower-grade fibre lids. It's a plastic-free lid that behaves like plastic, without pretending to be.
This range has been developed under the leadership of Justin Bailes, MD of Transcend Fibre, with consultant input from Mark Mitchell, who continues to shape category insights and technical performance standards.
What We’ve Solved
• A fibre lid range that fits standard 8oz, 12oz, and 16oz cups
• Qwarzo™ coating applied to the lip edge for strength and drinkability
• No PE, PLA, or laminates – entirely fibre-based and recyclable
• Available in multiple colours to support full brand consistency
• Built for high-volume foodservice — fast, practical, reliable
The WMF Range Includes
• Pressed fibre coffee cup lids with Qwarzo™ coating (8oz, 12oz, 16oz)
• Takeaway trays and bases for hot and cold foods
• Custom WMF solutions for QSR and food-to-go formats
• Dual ovenable and microwaveable options
• Lid colour options: natural kraft, bleached white, and custom shades
Why It Matters
Operators want to reduce plastic - but they need confidence. The product must run efficiently on-site, stack and store with ease, and survive the rigours of the supply chain.
Our WMF lids do all three. They’re designed to perform, built to scale, and engineered to deliver - with the aesthetics to match.
In the words of Justin:
“If you’re going to replace a plastic lid, it has to behave like one.”
Folded Cartons
Category Ambassador: Terry Dawson
Senior Account Manager
“Fibre cartons are the quiet workhorses of food packaging - but when they’re built properly, they can do a lot more than hold a burger..”
Folded cartons are everywhere - but that doesn’t make them simple. In foodservice, they need to hold heat, resist moisture, protect product integrity, stack efficiently, and carry your branding clearly… all while complying with food contact and sustainability requirements.
Terry Dawson oversees this category at Transcend, working with QSR brands, retailers and food manufacturers to deliver cartons that meet the real-world needs of operators and the expectations of customers. Whether it’s a custom sleeve, a tamper-evident sushi tray, or a clamshell that stays closed in delivery bags, Terry helps make sure every carton earns its keep
What We Offer
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A full range of folded cartons for hot food, chilled retail, takeaway, and delivery
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Sleeves, scoops, wraps, trays, boxes, clamshells - built for performance and print
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Single-piece, quick-assemble designs to reduce storage and improve speed of service
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Dual ovenable and microwaveable options
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Designed for automation, volume, and high-turnover environments
Recent Projects
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Wasabi Dragon Roll Box – One-piece recyclable sushi pack, replacing fibre/plastic hybrid
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Taco Bell Family Meal Box – Strength, branding, and simplicity in one fold
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Sainsbury’s Meal-for-Two Sleeve – A large-format retail sleeve for chilled ready meals
Where Design Meets Function
Every carton starts with an idea — and a requirement. It has to hold up in transit. It has to close properly. It has to open neatly. It has to look good and feel right. That’s why Terry works closely with our internal DesignLab team to test and refine every format before it hits the floor.
You’ll see the results in reduced waste, fewer returns, better stacking, faster service, and stronger brand recall.
Why It Matters
The wrong carton slows down kitchens, frustrates customers, and creates waste. The right one just works. It fits the hand, the tray, the product — and the planet. At Transcend, we focus on the right one.
As Terry says:
“It’s got to do the job every time, in every store. That’s the benchmark.”
MERCHR - Reusable Tech-Enabled Cups
Category Ambassador: Mark Varney
Commercial Director
"From compostable to reusable, we now have the full offer - and this closes the loop.”
Transcend’s partnership with Merchr introduces a new kind of reusable cup: one that connects technology with everyday convenience. It's not just about sustainability - it’s about speed, safety, and smart customer engagement.
Merchr is a tech-led platform that allows individuals or brands - from one coffee shop to an international chain - to customise, produce, and ship reusable cups within 24 hours. End users can upload a design, add allergens, preload payment, or link loyalty rewards via an embedded QR code. All this is done on-demand, with the cup ready in under two minutes and shipped the same day.
For foodservice operators, this isn’t just reusable - it’s operationally efficient. Customers scan and pay in seconds, eliminating the faff of toggling between payment and loyalty apps. Allergens flash up automatically, making it safer for staff and customers. And the system generates real ESG data, helping brands track environmental savings cup by cup.
Why It Matters
• Fast-track reusable adoption with ready-to-go tech
• Improve service speed and reduce in-store friction
• Enhance allergy visibility and customer safety
• Generate traceable ESG savings for your sustainability reporting
As Mark says:
“We’ve always focused on sustainable packaging — now we’re closing the loop with reuse, and adding value through technology”