Design specialist rolls out coffee cup recycling bin

The bins are fully brandable and allow coffee cups to recycled all in one place, without having to separate the liquids, cups and lids.

The collected cups are then upcycled into reusable cups and other products such as tissue and packaging.

The bins are already rolling out into Costa’s and Pret a Manger’s across the UK, as well as Network Rail stations.

A YouGov study, commissioned by Network Rail, found that the majority of Network Rail users want to recycle their paper coffee cups but do not know how, with 58% using either a waste bin or a general recycling bin, despite these systems being unable to manage paper cups.

Zak Manhire, chief commercial officer at Regency Design, said: “The work we do is all about providing innovative solutions to the problems that our customers face, along with the country as a whole.

“In this instance, it means creating a product that allows coffee sippers to quickly separate the parts of the coffee cup, so that their waste can be recycled.

“Our solution does this and allows for quick and easy collection in high footfall areas such as train stations and coffee shops.

“The UK was making good progress with the adoption of reusable coffee cups, but COVID-19 safety concerns will no doubt hinder this progress, and with Britain getting through an estimated 2.5 billion cups a year it is encouraging to see big brands adopting a more sustainable approach to cup waste.”