The UK generates over 30,000 tonnes of coffee cup waste each year, according to a report published last week by MPs working with the environmental audit committee. In the report MPs are now urgently calling for a charge of 25p to be added onto takeaway coffee to try and combat the shocking coffee cup waste epidemic plaguing the UK today.
25,000,000,000 – yes, we choose to write in full numeric value – takeaway coffee cups were used and thrown away last year in the UK. That’s on average 384 cups for every person in the UK, so the equivalent of everyone throwing at least one coffee cup away carelessly every day.
There are some complexities in disposing of takeaway coffee cups, as they are largely made from cardboard that also has a bonded polyethylene liner, this is difficult to remove, which means they are not accepted by recycling plants.
Coffee shop chains Costa and Starbucks however have shown some initiative in introducing recycling bins for cups in their outlets, which they then sent to specialist recycling facilities. MPs commented, that these measures were ‘well meaning’ but not nearly enough to tackle the sheer scale of coffee cup waste in the UK.
Coffee is also a major part of many foodservice businesses and initiatives like Bartlett Mitchell’s range of Keep-cups, which entitle customers to a coffee discount, has seen a 200% increase in their take up.
So, whether we adopt a carrot like Bartlett Mitchel have in rewarding customers for being conscientious, and/or we back the stick MP’s are calling for with the 25p charge, much clearly still needs to be done. Would you like a carrot, stick or both with your coffee?