PRESS RELEASE


For more information:

Sweetheart Cup Company Inc.
Hans H. Heinsen
Chief Financial Officer
410-902-3080


SWEETHEART  CUP COMPANY INC.  ANNOUNCES A TENDER OFFER AND CONSENT  SOLICITATION
WITH  RESPECT  TO THE  9-1/2%  SENIOR  SUBORDINATED  NOTES DUE 2007 OF THE FONDA
GROUP, INC.

Owings  Mills,   MD,   September  18,  2001  --  Sweetheart   Cup  Company  Inc.
("Sweetheart")  announced today that it is commencing a tender offer to purchase
for cash all of the outstanding 9-1/2% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2007 of The
Fonda Group, Inc. (the "Fonda Notes") and a consent solicitation to eliminate or
amend  certain  restrictive  covenants  and  other  provisions  in  the  related
indenture.  The  tender  offer  and  consent  solicitation  are  being  made  in
connection  with the  proposed  merger of The Fonda  Group,  Inc.  with and into
Sweetheart  Cup Company  Inc. and the proposed  offering by  Sweetheart  of $275
million  principal  amount of Senior Notes due 2007. The offer and sale of these
notes will not be, and have not been,  registered  under the  Securities  Act of
1933.

The purchase price per $1,000  principal amount of Fonda Notes in the offer will
be $1,000, together with accrued and unpaid interest up to but not including the
date of payment.

The tender offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 27,
2001, unless extended or terminated.

Holders who tender  their Fonda Notes in the tender offer will be deemed to have
consented to the proposed  amendments to the  indenture.  Holders may not tender
their Fonda Notes  without  consenting  to the proposed  amendments  and may not
deliver consents without tendering Fonda Notes.

The tender offer is conditioned  upon the execution of a supplemental  indenture
following  the  receipt  of the  requisite  consents,  the  consummation  of the
proposed  merger of The Fonda Group,  Inc., and certain other  conditions as set
forth  in the  Offer  to  Purchase  and  Consent  Solicitation  Statement  dated
September 17, 2001.

Jefferies & Company,  Inc. is acting as information agent in connection with the
tender offer and consent  solicitation and initial  purchaser in connection with
the offering.  Holders may obtain  information  relating to the tender offer and
consent solicitation by contacting Jefferies & Company, Inc. at (504) 681-5721.

Sweetheart is one of the largest producers of disposable foodservice products in
North America.  It sells paper,  plastic and foam foodservice and food packaging
products,  consisting  primarily  of cups,  lids,  plates,  bowls,  napkins  and
containers.  Fonda is a national manufacturer of disposable foodservice products
in both the institutional and consumer markets.

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR  INFORMATION  PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO BUY
OR SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY OR SELL ANY SECURITIES, AND SHALL
NOT  CONSTITUTE  AN  OFFER,   SOLICATION  OR  SALE  OF  ANY  SECURITIES  IN  ANY
JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFERING OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.