In light of the postponement of the 25p charge on single-use drinks cups in Scotland, the National Cup Recycling Scheme (NCRS) has reiterated its dedication to developing innovative voluntary initiatives aimed at improving food and drink packaging sustainability.
Hannah Osman, the manager of this voluntary scheme administered by Valpak, stated: “While we understand that policy development takes time and must reflect wider environmental and economic considerations, we continue to emphasise the importance of tackling cup waste at scale. Incentives and charges can both play a role in influencing behaviour, but whatever the mechanism, we need continued focus and collaboration to make cup recycling the norm.”
She further added, “The majority of fibre-composite cups are made from high-quality fibre which can be recycled multiple times into new products. However, we need suitable cup recycling infrastructure and a strong push for behaviour change. We urge businesses, consumers, and local authorities to keep progressing with their efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle cups, regardless of legislative timelines.”
Established in 2018, the National Cup Recycling Scheme aims to enhance paper cup recycling in the UK and has successfully facilitated the recycling of 217 million cups. The initiative brings together major retailers such as Caffè Nero, Costa Coffee, Greggs, McDonald’s, Pret A Manger, Lavazza Professional, and Burger King to support the collection and recycling of paper cups. Recently, the scheme collaborated with Keep Wales Tidy and the innovative waste-sorting app Bower to launch the world’s first screening for cups, utilizing pioneering AI technology to incentivize customers in Cardiff for recycling at stores.
According to government statistics, Scotland generates over 380 million single-use cups every year, averaging 71 cups per person. Valpak’s analysis for WRAP* indicates that the UK has adequate capacity to recycle all paper cups entering the market.
The legislation for the 25p charge per cup was previously approved by Holyrood, with an initial target implementation date set for the end of 2025. However, the Scottish Government has now excluded it from their annual plan. The Single-use Cup Charge Advisory Group is expected to convene in early June to review the outcomes of the consultation on this charge.
*In 2021, Valpak was commissioned by WRAP to analyze the market situation concerning fibre-composite cups. The report, Single-use Cups and On-the-Go Fibre-composite Food Packaging, concluded that the UK has the capacity to recycle all paper cups that are placed in the market.
For more information, visit https://www.cuprecyclingscheme.co.uk.