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 NCRS 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