Over 5,000 signatures reached on a petition is aimed at getting UK coffee shops to switch to fully recyclable cups. The petition was started by eco-influencer Madeleine Olivia in partnership with Frugalpac – manufacturer of fully recyclable cups made from recycled paper. Figures from Eunomia Research & Consulting suggest that the UK uses as many as 5 billion coffee cups per year, contributing 30,000 tons of coffee cup waste throughout that time. This is a result of the common misconception that disposable cups are widely recycled and that they can be thrown away in any recycling bin for processing. However, the majority simply end up at landfill or incineration plants.
Rebecca Turner, head of sales and marketing at Frugalpac, commented, “The number of cups not being processed efficiently in the UK is extremely worrying, but it is fantastic to see so many people backing us in our efforts to raise awareness of the current waste problem. Earlier this year we launched the Frugal Cup, the UK’s first fully recyclable coffee cup made from 100% recycled paper, with the idea of tackling this issue head on.
“There has always been a disconnect between the alleged environmental credentials of many virgin-paper based and compostable cups used by coffee shops and what actually happens to them once they’ve been thrown away. Frugalpac is proud to have led the way in educating both consumers and operators on the current level of waste produced by disposable coffee cups in the UK, encouraging coffee shops, restaurants and offices to #getFrugal by making the switch to the Frugal Cup.”
