On your daily commute or school run, you likely see a plethora of cardboard beverage cups. In our fast-paced world, the convenience of a takeaway hot drink has led to a massive amount of waste from discarded cups. But what if we could make recycling these cups easier and more accessible, without sacrificing our love for our daily caffeine fix?
Tackling paper cup waste with tailor-made cardboard bins for recycling
Valpak, a company that prides itself on sustainability, was in need of a sustainable packaging solution that would eliminate the need for packing by a third party. They required a custom-designed box that would allow cups to be stacked inside for recycling. The talented team of Smurfit Kappa packaging pros provided a unique solution that delivered exactly what Valpak required in the easiest, most affordable, and sustainable way possible.
Tackling recycling together
In 2018, Valpak partnered with Costa Coffee to develop a new national initiative, The National Cup Recycling Scheme. This scheme aims to significantly increase the collection and recycling of paper cups across the UK. The National Cup Recycling Scheme collaborates with businesses across diverse sectors, tailoring cup recycling solutions that encompass internal education, strategic bin placement, consumer behaviour change, and engagement with waste collectors.
A cup half full when it comes to a fit-for-purpose cardboard cup holder bin
The National Cup Recycling Scheme wanted to create the Cup Box as a recycling solution for small to medium-sized businesses across the UK. Valpak approached the team at Smurfit Kappa Leeds with this unique cardboard disposal bin conundrum. With their logistics company also keen to post the product straight out, this meant that a secondary product to house the cup recycling box components for transportation would need to make up part of the design. To address all the customers’ requirements, Smurfit Kappa Leeds designed a freestanding cup recycling box, with dividers to create 9 internal compartments to stack the cups inside.
All revved up for a fully recyclable result
To address all the customers’ requirements, Smurfit Kappa Leeds designed a freestanding cup recycling box, with dividers to create 9 internal compartments to stack the cups inside. They also designed a lid with holes that lined up with each compartment and a separate layer pad, so that when the box is filled the layer pad can be clicked underneath the lid to seal the holes ready to be sent for recycling.
Raise your cups to toast Smurfit Kappa’s ingenious packaging solution
“We’re delighted with the creative and clever design for the ‘Cup Box’ from Smurfit Kappa! The National Cup Recycling Scheme is very excited about seeing it in situ within businesses being used to recycle cups. With this easy-to-use, highly efficient, time-saving, and cost-effective sustainable packaging solution there is simply no excuse for neglecting to recycle your cardboard cups anymore!
At Smurfit Kappa, we’re as invested in our customers’ success as we are committed to finding innovative new packaging solutions that champion sustainability.