It wasn’t too long ago when the ‘latte levy’ was pushed back from the British government — a plan that proposed to add an additional 25p charge on every paper coffee cup. Instead of introducing the tax, ministers concluded that they would prefer to examine other options — but what exactly are they?
Believe it or not, only one in 400 coffee cups are recycled — but how do we better the recycle rates without increasing the cost to consumers?
Investing in recycling plants
Across Britain, there only a few recycling facilities that have the ability of disposing coffee cups. Because of their combined plastic lining and paper outer, the majority of standard recycling plants cannot process the cups.
There are multiple ways the British government can combat this issue — such as investing in additional recycling plants that are able to dispose of coffee cups or making changes to current plants that can’t deal with this issue.
Britain already has recycling targets put in place, so making additional investments could be beneficial. As this commitment grows, as a country, we’re going to need additional recycling plants to deal with our increasing amount of recyclable waste. Essentially, this type of investment then will not only benefit the UK now but also in the future.
Following China’s plastic import ban, this has become an issue that we must focus on. As one of the world’s leading manufacturing countries, China has previously welcomed solid waste materials from other countries, including polyethylene terephthalate (Pet) drinks bottles, other plastic bottles and containers, and mixed paper.
Since 2012, British companies have sent more than 2.7m tonnes of plastic waste to China and Hong Kong and it’s clear that an issue is arising. Some reports have already detailed a build-up of plastic at UK recycling plants in wake of the ban—clearly illustrating the UK’s need for self-sufficiency in terms of available recycling facilities.
A look towards biodegradable cups
It all comes down to a combination of paper and plastic. However, cafes, restaurants and pubs do have alternative options in the form of biodegradable coffee cups. Usually 100% biodegradable and compostable, the cups tend to be free from plastic or oil-based linings, providing a more environmentally friendly option without requiring any drastic price changes for customers.
Do we have enough recycling bins?
We can’t encourage the public to recycle their coffee cups if there isn’t a recycling bin present on the street — people will opt for general waste bins which at no fault of their own, becomes an environmental issue. Both of these options will eventually lead to the cups making their way to landfill.
If the UK is to commit properly to its recycling plan, it’s essential that the right equipment, like recycling bins, are available nationwide. This also links to the previous point we made around the UK’s coffee cup recycling capabilities. If coffee cups are placed in recycling bins but the contents are sent to a plant that is not able to recycle them, they will ultimately end up in land fill.
A solution to this issue could be to create distinct recycling bins for coffee cups, with the contents then transported to plants that are capable of processing them. As the UK is crazy on coffee, perhaps we need recycling bins that are dedicated entirely to them. Ace UK has 415 coffee cup recycling points in the UK, where consumers can dispose of their cups. However, these are generally placed in car parks rather than the everyday bins we see on the high street. Increasing the spread of this type of bin could improve coffee cup recycling rates in the UK.
Plastic glasses retailer, Inn Supplies, brought you this article.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/02/rubbish-already-building-up-at-uk-recycling-plants-due-to-china-import-ban
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