LONDON, UK – Almost every one of us has carried a take away cup with coffee or tea once in our life. Some of us even every day. In the UK, they throw away 2.5 billion take away cups every year.
That is a lot of rubbish that can’t get recycled the right way because of how it’s made. The inner plastic lining of the cups is hard to separate from the cardboard paper, so only 1% of all the cups are recycled.
The British company Biome Bioplastics is now giving us a possible solution to the problem, a new cup that “in appropriate composting conditions will disappear to carbon dioxide and water within three months”.
Doesn’t it sound amazing?!
The cup is made of plant starches and cellulose, and should perform as well as any other cups when it comes to the handling, heat and stress.
In a research performed by the company, they found out that almost two-thirds of the people living in London would rather have an eco-friendlier cup. And another survey showed that only three of the 25 London-based chains offered their customers reusable cups.
The Chief Executive Paul Mines at Biome Bioplastics said, “Coffee drinkers are acting in good faith when they see recycling logos on their takeaway coffees, but most cups are lined with oil-based plastic and the lids made of polystyrene, making recycling impossible, even when placed in the right bin. The shocking amount of landfill waste shows the urgent need for big brands to accelerate work in new, sustainable materials.”
Some of the biggest coffee chains in London, such as Caffè Nero, Costa and Starbucks, are now trying to make a change towards a more sustainable system, offering their customers discounts if they bring in a reusable cup. Other initiatives include placing bins around the City for collecting disposable cups.
