Clamping down on takeaway waste is the aim of a new partnership between Costa Coffee, McDonald’s UK, and motorway service area operator, Roadchef.
The businesses are co-funding a cup recycling programme at all 30 Roadchef sites across the UK, as part of their involvement in the National Cup Recycling Scheme.
Some 65 new recycling units, designed by Unisan UK, will be placed across Roadchef’s sites. Consumers can use the new units to separate their cups, lids, and any leftover drinks before placing them in the containers.
According to the new partnership, cups will then be backhauled via Costa Coffee’s stores and sent to specialist facilities to be recycled into new products, such as reusable cups and new luxury paper packaging.
Through the new initiative there is an ambition to educate consumers to keep takeaway waste in their cars because there will be recycling opportunities at their next stop.
Roadchef’s service areas have more than 50 million visitors every year, so the recycling scheme presents an opportunity to clamp down considerably on takeaway waste and roadside litter.
Costa said it already incentivises reuse through its Costa Coffee Club loyalty scheme, as well as providing cup recycling points at all its UK stores.
Sustainability lead at Costa, Laurence Webb, said his company wants to work with other leading brands “to drive positive change for the environment”.
McDonald’s reported that it has placed more than 1,100 recycling units within its UK estate, where customers can recycle cups from any brand. The restaurant chain’s senior sustainability consultant, Helen McFarlane, said: “We are committed to making it even easier for on-the-go consumers to give their cups a second life, and this is the next step on that journey.
“We hope that, by putting these highly visible bins in some of our most visited locations we can get the message out there that coffee cups can be recycled, and we will be continue to encourage people to return their cups to our restaurants across the country.”
[Image credit: Costa Coffee]
