Cup Fund from Starbucks and Hubbub to help communities reduce paper cup waste

Environmental charity Hubbub has announced the launch of The Cup Fund, to kickstart paper cup recycling programmes in locations across the UK.

The Cup Fund will support at least ten large-scale recycling programmes, offering grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 based on the specific needs of each application to develop long term infrastructure and ensure cups are collected and sent for recycling.

The ability to recycle paper cups has increased over the last two years and there is now enough capacity in the UK to recycle all paper cups used.

However, because cups have a plastic lining that stops hot drinks from leaking, they need to be collected separately from other paper goods.

As a result, specific cup recycling points are needed as well as clear communication to help the public recycle easily.

The launch of The Cup Fund invites applications from a range of organisations wanting to increase infrastructure but lacking funding, including local authorities, recycling companies, property owners, and social enterprises to come forward.

Trewin Restorick, CEO and Founder of Hubbub, said: “We know that local authorities and building managers are committed to achieving their recycling targets but with increased strain on their budgets, investing in infrastructure is difficult.”“The launch of The Cup Fund with Starbucks means we will be able to collect cups in significant volumes in areas where there may not have been any drop off points before.”

“We’re looking for ambitious, large-scale projects that will transform cup recycling in high footfall areas.”

The Cup Fund is financed by Starbucks, who introduced a 5p charge on paper cups in 2018, to encourage customers to increase their use of reusable cups and avoid the charge.

Starbucks ensures all proceeds are donated to Hubbub to carry out environmental projects that increase recycling as well as behaviour changes studies to understand more about consumer behaviour, including that barriers that stop more people using a reusable cup.

The instore charge has seen reusable cup use increase from 1.8 per cent nationwide to over five per cent of all hot drinks sold.

Instore cup recycling is also offered in 350Starbucks stores across Britain, in a scheme that means any brand of cup can be brought back to be recycled.