2.5 billion disposable cups are thrown away annually in the UK and of which, only 1% are recycled.
The committee’s chair, Mary Creagh, said that this “massive increase” was a damaging environmental impact and insisted it was time the big coffee chains did more to address the waste they produce.
Although the majority of people believe that any disposable cups put into a recycling bin will be broken down and the material re-used, this was not the case. The plastic lining in cups means they cannot be recycled in normal depots and have to be put in special bins, and sent to one of three dedicated recycling mills.
The Green party MP Caroline Lucas said the key was to encourage the use of reusable cups.
The Environment Audit Committee raised the possibility of banning the current disposable cups to encourage easier recyclable alternatives or charging more to use them. These suggestions were opposed by a representative from Costa Coffee and the packaging industry, who insisted they were working towards creating a system that would allow consumers to recycle their existing cups.
Frugalpac is currently developing fully recyclable coffee cups, which can go in any bin and be recycled in any mill.
Read more here.
Source: The Guardian, 11 October 2017