National Cup Recycling Scheme £45k fund to boost cup recycling innovation

The National Cup Recycling Scheme has announced plans for a £45,000 project fund to support pioneering projects that effectively capture and recycle on-the-go paper cups or help to accelerate acceptance in kerbside schemes, preventing cups from ending up in landfill. The competition launches in September, with the winner announced in December.

Hannah Osman, manager of the scheme, which is administered by Valpak by Reconomy, said: “This new fund is a major investment to encourage innovation in cup recycling infrastructure and reuse. We are hoping to trigger scalable ideas that will make a real difference in the future.”

Any organisation, business or community can apply, including partnerships and collaborations. Applicants can submit proposals to one of three focus areas:

• Awareness campaigns – Bold, creative behaviour change projects that promote cup recycling in workplaces, events or public spaces.
• Recycling infrastructure improvements – Groundbreaking innovations to enhance cup collection, return and sortation at high-footfall locations.
• Research and Evidence Building – High-quality, novel research addressing strategically important challenges in paper cup recycling, such as improving recyclability, recovery rates and environmental performance, or evaluating the feasibility of collection through household recycling schemes.

Shortlisted applicants will receive financial and expert support to refine their proposal, as well as guidance on networking and referrals to relevant stakeholders and help in preparing their final pitch. The final three shortlisted projects will develop full project proposals, including a final interview with the judging panel made up of the National Cup recycling Scheme brands.

The National Cup Recycling Scheme is the UK’s largest paper cup recycling scheme. Funded by participating brands – Costa Coffee, McDonald's, Pret a Manger, Caffè Nero, Lavazza Professional, Greggs and Burger King – it brings major retailers, waste management companies and UK paper mills together to increase the number of paper cups collected and recycled in the UK.

Since the launch of the scheme, 233 million cups have been recycled into high quality products such as packaging, stationery and even Remembrance Day poppies.

More information will be available when the fund launches in September. Potential applicants can find out more at Beyond the Bin Fund | Recycling Paper Cups

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Editors notes

·      Valpak’s mission is to create a sustainable, waste-free world. We are driven, not by today. We are driven by tomorrow.

·      We help our clients to reduce waste and recycle more, continually innovating and using leading data science and expertise to inspire businesses, help push ourselves – and our industry – forward. We don’t just show our customers how to navigate waste regulations; we help them become more sustainable, through our ever-increasing capabilities and pioneering innovations. 

·      Valpak is the largest environmental compliance scheme in the UK. We work with major names, such as Aldi, Tesco, ASOS, and Miele, and manages compliance for more than 2,000 businesses. In 2022, it celebrated its 25th anniversary.

·      Valpak is part of Reconomy, an international circular economy specialist that combines technology, skills and incredible people to build sustainability ‘loops’ that create circular opportunities for business. This is achieved through a tech enabled, people-powered approach that helps Reconomy’s customers to better manage their resources, reduce waste, optimise their supply chains, and contribute in a meaningful way towards the circular economy.

·      Valpak services include:

o   Compliance under Waste Packaging, WEEE, and Battery Directives.

o   Data insights.

o   International compliance.

o   Consultancy.

o   Accreditation under environmental schemes, such as Zero Waste to Landfill. 

·      Valpak invests in pioneering systems and expertise which enable its customers to analyse, assess and improve product design. The Product Data Hub, Insight Platform and dedicated teams work together to drive change.