News

At last, a genuinely plastic-free solution for hot drinks!

Mar 4, 2022

We get through 7 million single-use coffee cups each day in the UK – 2.5 billion every year. That’s enough to wrap around the moon, cover an area the size of Wales AND fill 20 Olympic swimming pools!

OK, we may be exaggerating, but it’s a lot!  And only 1 in 400 is ever recycled. The rest end up in landfill or incinerated.

Recycling cups is tricky, as the paper they’re made of is tightly bonded to a plastic liner and whilst it is technically possible to separate these layers so the paper and plastic can be used again, this is a fiddly and expensive process which means it rarely happens.

The coffee kiosk at our local station isn’t alone in boasting about its ‘compostable’ cups, which turn out to be lined with plant-based plastic (or PLA) which requires specialist industrial composting to break down. A waste service that isn’t widely available (or even understood)!

Eliminating the need for single-use and incentivising customers to bring their own cups is the best solution, but whatever you do, they won’t all remember – so what’s the alternative?

There are some solutions available, including some that have a water-based lining.  This means they can be home composted, which makes them a particularly good choice for events, or any other venues that can work with waste collection companies that guarantee they are taken to home composting facilities. Any unused or unsoiled cups can even be recycled with paper.

These are relatively new innovation so only available from a handful of suppliers.

With paper sleeves, and lids made from sugar cane waste, takeaway hot drinks can now be served fully plastic free.

GreenerGuest is one of the suppliers we know of that are currently stocking them, if you know of any other suppliers, please add them to this post.

Wording above provided by GreenerGuest.

Featured image from Unsplash.

Latest news

Win. Don’t Bin with Guardians of Grub for Food Waste Action Week 2023 
Win. Don’t Bin with Guardians of Grub for Food Waste Action Week 2023 

Hospitality and Food Service professionals can show how they are saving food, money and time in the race to Net Zero by keeping food from being wasted this March. Eleanor Morris at WRAP tells us how. Read more

What is net zero and how do you achieve it?
What is net zero and how do you achieve it?

We’ve all heard the term net zero, but what exactly does it mean? Put simply, net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. Read more

Businesses should be rewarded for being sustainable…
Businesses should be rewarded for being sustainable…

Being a sustainable business isn't about financial gain, it's about being responsible and making considered choices. But what if there were also rewards, acknowledging outstanding businesses and individuals, and encouraging sustainable behaviour? Read more

See more news and events