Posted on by Takeaway Packaging

Paper Cup Recycling: Everything You & Your Customers Should Know

As enthusiastic champions of recyclable paper cups, we’re committed to making sure they truly get recycled. It’s a bit disheartening to know that these eco-friendly warriors sometimes end up in landfills, lingering for years. Let’s give these reliable paper cups a fresh start—perhaps as another cup or even as part of a takeaway box or bag! 

Coffee Cup Recycling Hurdles

  • Paper cups with a polyethylene (PE) lining require special recycling centres to separate the PE from the paper.

  • Unfortunately, there’s no easy way for a customer to tell if your cup is lined with PE or PLA, leaving many folks scratching their heads about what to do with their cup.

  • There’s also a gap in awareness and proper disposal habits among customers. Many people don’t realize that recyclable paper cups need to be placed in specific recycling bins or taken to designated collection points.

  • This lack of knowledge leads to contamination in recycling streams, where non-recyclable materials mix with recyclables.

  • Plus, over 75% of us are tossing recyclable materials into general waste, which means the average UK household is missing out on recycling about 2.4 items.

  • While initiatives like the National Cup Recycling Scheme are making strides, there’s still a need for more collection points and better access to recycling facilities.

  • Without these improvements, the journey of a disposable cup from use to recycling remains full of obstacles, hindering our shared mission to reduce waste and promote environmental sustainability.

The Role of The National Cup Recycling Scheme

In the UK, the National Cup Recycling Scheme was created to tackle the challenge of disposable cup waste head-on. Launched in 2018 and set up by Costa Coffee, they are now teamed up with big names like McDonalds, Pret a Manger and Greggs.  These major players are not just funding the scheme; they’re leading the charge for change. This brilliant initiative establishes a network of collection points where used paper cups can be dropped off for recycling.

Whether you’re a large chain or a cosy independent coffee shop, you can get involved in different ways. It’s a chance to make a positive impact on the environment while proudly showcasing your dedication to sustainability.

How to get Involved in Disposable Cup Recycling

Getting involved is a breeze, but it’s crucial to keep your customers in the loop—let them know their coffee cup can be recycled (or composted—we’ll chat about that soon) and point out all the drop-off spots in your area, including your own bin.  An informational poster or sign is an easy way to spread the word.

Set up a dedicated bin just for paper cup disposal. The National Cup Recycling Scheme offers stand-alone cup recycling boxes, perfect for businesses not yet covered by local waste collectors. While you’ll need to purchase the Cup Box, the good news is that collections are free of charge! Alternatively, you can check with your local waste collection service to see if they provide their own bins for cup recycling, here’s a list of approved collectors:

ACM Environmental
Biffa
Bristol Waste Company 
Bywaters
Cawleys
Chambers-Group
Cumbria Waste
DHL Envirosolutions
Enviro-Tek
First Mile
Forge Recycling

Grundon
Options Management Ltd
Pulse Environmental Limited
Reconomy 
Recorra
Rishton Waste Paper
Select Environmental Services
Veolia
Waste Source
What Rubbish

Once your bin is full, it’s time to arrange for the collection of your coffee cups. The Cup Box holds up to 700 cups, but keep in mind that other waste collection services might have different requirements.

Think about joining the voluntary membership takeback scheme. It not only offers a discounted rate for The Cup Box service but also provides marketing materials to help you spread the word about your eco-friendly efforts.

Impact of The National Cup Recycling Scheme

Back in 2017, only 1 in 4 paper cups found their way to recycling. But thanks to the National Cup Recycling Scheme, which gives waste collectors a little financial nudge, we’ve now got the facilities to recycle every single paper cup out there—over 2.5 billion a year! Yet, our journey isn’t over. Since paper cups are often used on the go, they can end up in places like offices, train stations, and home bins, sometimes sneaking into the wrong bin and either contaminating recycling or landing in landfills. That’s why we’re all about keeping the momentum going by spreading the word to the end user. Let’s keep pushing for progress together!

How to Educate Customers about Coffee Cup Disposal

Boosting your customers’ awareness is a key step in this journey and a wonderful way to make a real difference. Use friendly signage to clearly show what type of cups you’re using and where the right bins are located. Engage with your audience through lively social media posts, and update your website with simple tips on recycling paper cups and why it’s important. Highlight your establishment’s commitment to sustainability and the proactive measures you’re taking to reduce waste.

New Cup Recycling Schemes to Get Involved With

Recently, a pilot scheme called Cupround was launched, where coffee shops handed out small cup recycling boxes for customers to take home. Once filled with 20 cups, customers returned them to the store for a chance to win prizes via a QR code entry system. In the second phase of the pilot, they tested customer engagement without any incentives, and guess what? The return rate soared to 73% from just 11% in the first phase, showing a growing commitment from consumers over time.

By nurturing a culture of sustainability, you’re not just protecting the planet—you’re also building a community of loyal customers who appreciate and support your green efforts.

Mandatory Single Use Cup Take-Back Scheme

The UK government had initially set its sights on rolling out a mandatory recycling scheme for single-use coffee cups. It was slated for 2024, then pushed to 2025, and eventually shelved by the end of 2024 by DEFRA due to high costs and questionable effectiveness. But don’t worry, they’re not giving up! Instead, they’re ramping up efforts to improve recycling rates through their Extended Producer Responsibility legislation (EPR), which is funded by fees from businesses that handle packaging. It’s a good idea to check if your business needs to pay these fees. The system is designed so that smaller businesses only need to submit reports, with the fees landing on larger businesses. Still, it’s crucial to know your role, and you can find more details here. (Link to PS Blog).

Compostable Paper Cups

If compostable cups are your go-to, it’s just as important to spread the word! Without clear guidance on where to dispose of these eco-friendly champs, they might not get the composting love they were made for. Instead, they could accidentally mix with recyclables or, even worse, end up in a landfill.

Options for Disposing of Compostable Paper Cups

First things first, check if your waste collection service can handle these eco-friendly cups. If not, don’t worry! Here are a couple of ways to ensure your compostable cups get the green treatment they deserve:

Industrial Composting: Most PLA-lined coffee cups need the magic touch of commercial composting facilities, as home composting just can’t provide the right temperature, humidity, and other conditions. You can find an up-to-date map of UK composting facilities here.

Food Waste Collection: Some councils offer food waste collections that happily accept compostable packaging as well. Contact your local council to find out the rules in your area.

Compost Connect is a fantastic non-profit organisation dedicated to linking foodservice businesses with commercial composters. With their handy search tool, you can easily discover composting schemes in your area. Much like the National Cup Recycling Scheme, you can join Compost Connect to order bins for your compostable waste and set up regular collections.