A coalition for more and better cup recycling

A new project for recycling paper cups has been launched in the Benelux countries. Stora Enso and Huhtamaki want to increase the recycling rate of wood fibres with The Cup Collective. Often, after only a short time of use, paper cups for to-go drinks end up in the rubbish or, even worse, in the environment.

Currently, many of the cups cannot be recycled and made into new products because they are not collected properly. With their initiative, the two companies now want to enable the recycling of used cups on an industrial scale.

The aim of the initiative is to develop a systematic European solution for the collection and recycling of paper cups. To this end, the two companies are inviting others along the value chain to join The Cup Collective. The importance of a recycling solution for paper cups is also reflected in the EU's recycling targets for paper and cardboard packaging: by 2030, the recycling rate is to be 85 %.

A major problem in recycling the paper cups is the correct collection. Often the cups do not end up in the right recycling stream and are thus lost. Thus, the aim of The Cup Collective is to create a collection infrastructure to enable the subsequent recycling of the valuable raw materials contained in the cups. Initially, collection containers for to-go cups will be installed in the greater Brussels and Amsterdam areas. In restaurants, cafés, office buildings and at transport hubs, consumers and businesses will have the opportunity to return their cups for recycling.

Stora Enso and Huhtamaki are working together with the British company Co-cre8 – co-cre8.earth to manage the project. The company specialises in the development and implementation of recycling systems in Europe. In its first two years, the initiative aims to recycle half a billion paper cups and further expand the volume. The project will initially be financed by the two companies, but is expected to be self-sustaining in the long term.