The National Cup Recycling Scheme.

The Nati nal Cup Recycling Scheme

The National Cup Recycling Scheme was launched in 2018 by, Valpak, a Reconomy Group Company, and Costa Coffee, and is now co-funded by seven other major brands including McDonalds, Pret a Manger, Caffè Nero, Greggs, Burger King, Pure and Lavazza Professional. Here, Samantha Ward from a leading UK provider of environmental compliance services, Valpak, introduces readers to the scheme and the benefits it has to offer to cafés and coffee shops, from global chains to local independents.

ADVANCES MADE

Paper cup recycling has been the recipient of some pretty unwelcome and often inaccurate media coverage in recent times. The reality, however, is that the UK has made tremendous advances in recycling takeaway cups. As a result, consumers now have sustainable means of recycling of their used cup while retailers can leverage the associated environmental and commercial benefits. This complements the significant increase in reusable cup usage which often also means customers can benefit from a discount or loyalty scheme.

Despite popular misconception, coffee cups only contain one major component which sets them apart from standard, recyclable paper products. Many retailers use a polyethylene cup, which is typically made from 95% virgin fibre and a 5% polyethylene plastic lining which keeps the cup waterproof. It’s this polythene lining which means that cups have to be collected separately to other paper products. It does not, in any way, mean that the cups can’t be recycled. In fact, the high-quality fibre that the cups are made from are a desirable product for the re-processors which can subsequently be used to make cards, shopping bags and reusable cups. What can make the process rather complex though is the ever-increasing diversity of cup types – compostables, biodegradables, water dispersion coating – the list goes on!

There are currently five recycling facilities in the UK that accept paper cups. These are ‘standard’ paper mills; the only difference is that they have a slightly different process for recycling cups compared to other paper products. Between them, these facilities have the ability to process all the paper cups used annually in the UK.

COLLECTION CO-ORDINATION

The National Cup Recycling Scheme and its members recognised that the challenge for cup recycling lies not in the recyclability of paper cups but in their collection. This is complicated by the fact that paper cups are usually consumed on the go, for example, while shopping or commuting. Members were keen to acknowledge this and ensure that the scheme was of a collaborative nature - this why many have now installed cup recycling points inside their stores where consumers are able to return their cup, regardless of where it was purchased.

Now that we’ve established that cup recycling is very much possible and relatively straightforward, we need to do all we can to increase rates. When PE coated cups are 100% recycled it reduces their carbon footprint by 54%. The environmental potential is then sizeable given the European recycling rate currently stands at around 36% and the fibre in each cup can be recycled up to seven times.

Whilst the environmental rationale for recycling is itself quite compelling it is also worth considering the commercial benefits. The ability to offer a recycling solution enables cafés and coffee shops of all sizes to offer customers a service. Enabling customers to recycle their used cups in your premises is a visible way of demonstrating your business’s commitment to the environment and, in doing so, reinforces the sustainable element of your brand. The ability to recycle their cup, irrespective of where they purchased their drink, is also another way to get people into your store who might ordinarily have not come in from the street.

INCENTIVE

So how does the scheme work? The National Cup Recycling Scheme financially incentivises waste collectors, funded by the signatory members, to collect paper cups separate from the rest of the waste and recycling by offering them an additional £70 per tonne of cups delivered to one of the scheme’s partner mills.

This subsidy is in addition to the commercial fee that they receive from the papermill for the value of the material (fibre) itself. The aim is to make the separate collection of used cups more commercially attractive for waste collectors to include as part of their recycling offering and in turn to boost collection and recycling rates. In this way, the scheme brings together retailers, waste collectors and reprocessors all with the shared aim of growing the infrastructure needed to increase the number of paper cups being recycled in the UK.

Cafés and coffee shops wanting to support the National Cup Recycling Scheme just need to follow two simple steps.

INVEST IN A CUP RECYCLING BIN

We recommend using a tube-style bin with a liner which separates lids, liquids and cups. These bins aim to reduce contamination and make it effi cient to transfer cups to larger totes ready for collection

FIND A WASTE COLLECTOR WHO IS PART OF THE SCHEME

The number of waste contractors collecting cups on the National Cup Recycling Scheme has quadrupled in the last year. To see the full list visit www.cuprecyclingscheme.co.uk. If your waste collector isn’t on the scheme yet but interested in recycling cups, please ask them to get in touch.

RESULTS

Since launching in 2018, the scheme has collected and recycled over 165 million cups, over 1,800 tonnes. To try and put this into some kind of context if these cups were stacked end-toend, they would reach from Valpak’s offi ce in Stratford-upon-Avon to Cairns on the eastern cost of Australia. As the scheme enters its fourth year, it looks set to continue its growth with twenty-fi ve waste collectors offering a paper cup collection service across the UK.

The number of UK re-processors able to accept paper cups has also grown from only three in 2018 to fi ve in 2022, which together have the capacity to recycle all fi bre-composite cups placed on the market in the UK. Scheme members and Valpak are ready to drive cup recycling forward in 2022 by increasing the number of cup recycling points for consumers in closed environments, for example, service stations, shopping centres, and transport hubs (any retailers wanting more information on the scheme are welcome to email me on CupRecycling@Valpak.co.uk).

“At Costa we are really determined to recycle as many cups as possible. For example, since 2018, when Costa helped to set up the National Cup Recycling Scheme, we’ve made it possible to bring back any takeaway cup (of any brand) to any of our stores and we will recycle it,” reports Laurence Webb - UK&I Sustainability Lead Costa Coffee.

“Every day our baristas across the country do a great job in collecting these cups from around the store, bagging them up and giving them to the delivery drivers who supply our stores. The drivers return to their depots with the cups, then the cups are eventually sent to specialist recycling facilities and made into new products.

“We do need the help of our customers though, for example by handing over used cups to one of our baristas or simply leaving them near the bin or on a table. Unfortunately, if the cups are put into the general waste or mixed recycling bin, we can’t recycle them!”