Yahoo Finance Costa vows to recycle all disposable cups sold by 2020
Coffee chain Costa says it wants to recycle 500 million cups a year by 2020 – repurposing as many disposable cups as it sells.
In what it has described as a “cup recycling revolution”, Britain’s largest coffee shop brand says it will pay waste management companies more money to take the cups.
Under its new plans, Costa will pay a supplement to waste collection firms of £70 for every tonne of cups picked up, plus £5 per tonne to another firm that will check the scheme is running as it should.
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Collection firms will receive on average £120 for every tonne of cups they collect, up from £50 – a 150% increase. Costa will even recycle cups supplied by rival firms.
Costa managing director Dominic Paul told the BBC: “By the end of 2020, we’ll effectively be cup-neutral. We’ll be recycling as many cups as we put into the system.”
It has recycled 14 million cups since February 2017 – however, an estimated 2.5 billion takeaway cups are used across the industry in Britain every year, and 99.75% are not recycled.
Although disposable cups are principally made from cardboard, they cannot be recycled by regular companies and through normal systems because of a tightly bonded polyethylene liner, which is difficult to remove.
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Paul added: “Costa is putting its money where its mouth is to find an immediate solution to increasing the volume of takeaway coffee cups being recycled in the UK. It also dispels the myth that coffee cups can’t be recycled.
“Following today’s announcement, up to 100 million cups will be recycled this year alone and if the nation’s other coffee chains sign up, there is no reason why all takeaway cups could not be recycled by as early as 2020.”
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The government has reacted to growing public awareness and pressure about plastic waste by undertaking a consultation process which could see a so-called “latte levy” introduced on disposable cups.
The levy – similar to the 5p supermarket plastic bag tax – could put a 25p charge on these throwaway cups in the future.
Costa already offers a 25p discount to customers who bring in a reusable cup, while rival chain Pret A Manger offers a 50p reduction.
Environmental charity Hubbub said the biggest challenge was now is to ensure the used cups are collected and make it to the recycling plants.
Big business is responding to the growing movement on waste. Supermarket Iceland has pledged to introduce plastic-free aisles, while Waitrose has also moved to remove plastic cups from its in-store cafes.
Environment minister Thérèse Coffey said: “Congratulations Costa on taking this significant step to help coffee lovers do the right thing and increase recycling.
“We all have a responsibility to our environment and this is a significant step by a British business which should dramatically increase the number of disposable coffee cups we recycle in this country.”
