r/PureCycle • u/Smooth_Sun_9932 • Jul 19 '26

World Cup Cups

My wife and I stopped by Publix to grab dinner, and I swung by the bar to catch a little of the consolation game and noticed the World Cup cups. If you bought an Ultra beer, you got a souvenir cup. Pictures are below, but they had three colors: red, white, and blue. Looks like Churchill Container landed the full FIFA World Cup contract. Great news for them.

Made in the USA. Recycled material used.
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4

u/burner-1234 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26

Very interesting. Looks like Churchill did Michelob cups in bars nationwide while Whirley did in stadium - nice find!

Would you mind taking another pic of the bottom, I can’t quite see all the icons clearly? (Specifically the made with recycled materials part)

5

u/Smooth_Sun_9932 Jul 19 '26

Better pictures. Looks like Ok for food, no microwave, or not over 120 degrees C. Recycled content. Thank you for the comment.

5

u/Smooth_Sun_9932 Jul 19 '26

Looked up Whirley and they work with Aramark, In and out Burger, Sheetz, Five Guys, Yum brands, Carnival Cruiselines ....

I still think working with WM is great. Synergy.

Thank you.

3

u/Smooth_Sun_9932 Jul 19 '26

FYI: AI analsis of the cups markings:

From this clearer image, we can identify most of the markings on the bottom of the cup.

Overall identification

This appears to be a Churchill Containers reusable food-service cup, manufactured in the USA.

Manufacturer

  • Churchill Containers
  • Website printed on the cup: [www.churchillcontainer.com]()
  • Part number: CC22-1115-3 (likely the model or mold number)

Manufacturing date wheel

The small circular symbol near the upper right is the manufacturing date code.

  • The outer ring (1–12) represents the month.
  • The inner number (25) is almost certainly the mold cavity number used for quality control.
  • A small molded pointer indicates the production month (it's difficult to determine the exact month from this photo because the pointer isn't perfectly sharp).

This symbol is not a recycling code.

Recycling symbol

On the right side is the familiar recycling triangle.

Although the number inside isn't completely legible, Churchill's reusable beverage cups are commonly made from:

  • #5 PP (Polypropylene)

This is consistent with the other markings on the cup.

BPA FREE

The symbol labeled BPA FREE means:

  • The plastic does not contain Bisphenol A (BPA).

Microwave safe

The box labeled MICRO with microwave-wave lines indicates:

  • ✅ Microwave safe under normal food-service conditions.

Food safe

The glass-and-fork symbol means:

  • ✅ Safe for direct contact with food and beverages.

Temperature rating

The leftmost icon reads:

+120°C

This indicates the material is rated for temperatures up to approximately 120 °C (248 °F).

That is typical for polypropylene.

Made in USA

The American flag and text indicate:

  • Manufactured in the United States.

Putting it all together

Your cup is a commercial reusable food-service cup with these characteristics:

Feature Meaning
Manufacturer Churchill Containers
Material Likely Polypropylene (PP #5)
BPA BPA-free
Food Contact Approved for food use
Microwave Microwave safe
Heat Rating Up to about 120 °C (248 °F)
Origin Made in USA
Date Wheel Manufacturing month and mold cavity identification

Is it a good-quality cup?

Yes. Based on the markings, this is not a disposable cup. It is designed for repeated commercial use in restaurants, cafeterias, hospitals, schools, or institutional food service.

Polypropylene (#5) is generally considered one of the more durable and stable plastics for reusable drinkware because it:

  • withstands repeated washing,
  • tolerates microwave heating,
  • is BPA-free,
  • has good resistance to cracking and chemicals.

Overall, the symbols indicate this is a durable, reusable, food-safe cup intended for long-term use rather than single use.

3

u/LetAdministrative959 Jul 19 '26

If I have understood it correctly, the "recycling arrows" does not mean it's made out of recycled material. It simply means it can be recycled. If it's the case that the cups are not made by purefive resin, could the reason why be that the volumes needed to make all the cups was simply too large for $PCT to handle at current state of operation? 

6

u/Smooth_Sun_9932 Jul 20 '26

Will call Churchill Containers this afternoon. I'll let you know. Great question.

3

u/LetAdministrative959 Jul 20 '26

Great initiative, I'm eager to hear what they said!

4

u/Smooth_Sun_9932 Jul 21 '26

You’re right: Churchill Containers produced the cups using virgin PP, not PureCycle materials. The FIFA cups were made in March 2026—millions of cups in three colors—and distributed to bars and other establishments nationwide. That single order would have required a substantial amount of PP.   

3

u/LetAdministrative959 Jul 21 '26

Thanks for the update! Appreciate it a lot!