Costa Launches Cup Recycling Scheme
6th December 2016
Costa is launching a nationwide recycling scheme in order to recover and guarantee the recycling of its takeaway cups. Competitor takeaway cups will also be accepted by Costa to increase the number of cups recycled across the country.
Customers will be encouraged to leave or return their takeaway cups to a Costa store where they will be collected by Costa team members and stored back of house on a cup rack. Costa will then work with their waste partner, Veolia, to transport them to specialist waste processing plants which have the capability to recycle takeaway coffee cups.
Following a successful trial in over 45 stores across London and Manchester, Costa is rolling out the recycling racks at the end of January 2017 with a clear message of ‘we recycle any paper takeaway cup, no matter what brand’.
“As the UK’s largest coffee shop brand, with stores up and down the country, we want to make it as easy as possible for the public to recycle their used coffee cups.”Jason Cotta, Managing Director of Costa UK&I
Jason Cotta, Managing Director of Costa UK&I, said: “Our research in Manchester and London shows around 40 cups per day are left in stores, which means we have the potential to recycle 30 million Costa cups a year. What’s more, the fact that we will accept competitors’ cups means we could significantly increase that figure. This will not be a trial. This is going to be business as usual.”
In addition to this Costa is funding research at Sheffield University into cup recyclability and currently donates 25p to litter charities every time a customer uses a reusable cup in a Costa store.
Jason Cotta continues: “We are committed to taking a lead and, like many others, we are working hard to find a cup that can be recycled anywhere. Whilst there is more work to do in partnership with the wider industry, we are excited to see the impact our new in-store recycling offer will have and hope it is embraced by everyone – by our customers and by those who buy their coffee elsewhere.”
To find out more about Costa’s recycling scheme, ask in-store at Costa in Garden Square.
