Australians use one billion coffee cups per annum, and their recycling continues to present a challenge. the Simply Cups program has been working on closed loop solutions since 2017, and now a government grant will boost its national presence.
The Simply Cups coffee cup recycling program, run by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, received a welcome boost this week receiving a grant from the federal government’s Product Stewardship Investment Fund.
The timing of the grant coincides with the Simply Cups program's expansion. Once limited to office buildings and a small number of 7-Eleven stores, Simply Cups collection points are increasingly popping up in shopping centres, universities and at sporting events.
The $697,000 in government funding will be spent converting this to a fully national service: an additional 400 collection points will be established in existing states and the program will be expanded to include 60 sites in Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
The focus is on establishing robust circular economy solutions. The funding will be used to work back up the supply chain to involve coffee cup manufacturers in delivering sustainable options and down the supply chain to improve and develop a variety of products made from recycled cups.
Since the Simply Cups program's establishment in 2017, it has already diverted 15 million cups from landfill, but this is just the tip of the iceberg according to managing director Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, Rob Pascoe.
“More than one billion coffee cups are used by Australians every year,” said Pascoe. “The growth and support for the Simply Cups program has been phenomenal over the first three years, but I think we all know that we have a long way to go.
“While we are all becoming more conscious of avoiding single-use items, coffee cup use continues to generate recycling challenges due to the plastic lining of these cups. We are excited that this grant provides us with the opportunity to work with packaging manufacturers and innovative Australian recyclers to improve the product stewardship elements of this program.”
The grant has been provided as part of the Morrison Government’s $10.5 million Product Stewardship Investment Fund.
Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction and Environmental Management, Trevor Evans, said, “We are shifting the dial in Australia as we change our mindset to thinking about waste as a resource and move towards a more circular economy.
“Australians love their coffee, and this expanded product stewardship scheme for coffee cups by Simply Cups will reduce waste going to landfill, lift recycling rates and help consumers make a practical, positive difference for the environment”.
Simply Cups' success to date is attributed in large part to the support afforded the program by 7-Eleven, which has increased the coffee cup recycling stations to 650 of its stores and is also now subsidising the program into high schools.
7-Eleven CEO, Angus McKay said, “We’re one of Australia’s leading coffee retailers, and we acknowledge that we are part of the problem. We partnered with Simply Cups in 2018 to take the lead on this issue in Australia and are proud to be part of the solution to make take-away cups recyclable.”
The style of source separation systems delivered by Simply Cups is increasingly being embraced by Australians, in a similar vein to soft plastics, toner cartridges, batteries, paint tins and many more.
“Closed Loop has been facilitating and delivering these kinds of solutions for 20 years,” said Pascoe.
“We are thrilled by the support provided by the federal government and applaud the strategy adopted by banning the export of waste and stimulating the manufacturing sector so we can deliver circular economy solutions within our shores.
“There is still plenty of work to be done though, particularly working with the private and public sector responsible for procurement decisions as we need to see items made from recycled Australian materials preferenced in purchasing decisions.”
