jar of coffee beans recycling for coffee busnness

Coffee Cup Cut downs: Recycling and Reducing Cup Usage

Recycling is the most efficient way to help save the planet. Starbucks, one of the biggest companies with recyclable materials, have come up with new ways to cut down on the amount of plastic and paper cups they use. For example a proposal of a 25p discount off drinks any time a customer brings their own cup to their store. As well as discounts off drinks they also provide a reusable cup for just £1, however those who don’t bring their own cup are charged 5p for paper cups as a trial across 35 stores. This way customers are also promoted to help recycling by introducing these changes.

 

Plans for recycling

coffee cups and bag for recycling

In order to recycle as efficiently as possible they have decided to break their recycling down into different categories. Categories ranging from cardboard, general waste and espresso capsules to ensure recycling is carried out as best as they can. They have also changed the materials in their cups saving around 700,000 each month.

 

Other companies of the same type who recycle

cup of coffee recycling coffee cups

Another well-known drinks brand Costa Coffee, also have taken on the challenge of trying to recycle the amount of plastic they use. Costa Coffee hope to achieve recycling 500 million coffee cups each year and by 2020 they hope to be recycling as many cups as they sell. They have even thought of changing the packaging of their cups. They have thought about introducing edible wafer type cups that can hold coffee for up to 40 minutes, if you do not decide to eat the cup it would only take a few weeks to biodegrade.

 

Recycling coffee cups in businesses

 

Many people drink coffee, office workers go to their nearest coffee shops to get something to drink either it be on their way to work, on their lunch break or on their way home from work. In order to recycle throughout the work place a disposal area just for paper cups could be kept in the office for them to be collected and recycled. This is a great way for the cups to be recycled as it means the cups would be kept separate from all other general waste. This will ensure cups are recycled properly as some companies will collect the cups that the business have recycled.