The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) has signed an agreement to facilitate the recycling of PE-lined paper cups in the UK with 14 organisations from the supply chain.

The collaboration will work to deliver a nationwide paper cup recycling solution that will strengthen the ongoing eco-activities achieved by the paper cup industry.

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ACE UK CEO Richard Hands said: “The paper cup industry is facing very similar recycling challenges to the ones the beverage carton industry faced when we started our programme ten years ago.

“Whilst our primary focus will remain on increasing beverage carton recycling, we believe our expertise, experience and existing relationships can help the paper cup industry create a step change in cup recycling.”

As part of the new partnership, the 14 companies will utilise ACE UK’s recycling expertise and carry out an activity programme that will expand the accessibility to paper cup recycling among people.

Under the programme, all ACE UK bring banks will accept paper cups for recycling from 1 January next year.

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“The paper cup industry is facing very similar recycling challenges to the ones the beverage carton industry faced when we started our programme ten years ago.”

A total of 382 recycling points will be added across 97 local authorities in the UK, with a further 33 recycling points in eight local authorities scheduled to come up in the next phase.

All procured cups will be processed at ACE UK’s recycling facility in Halifax.

The companies that signed the agreement are Benders Paper Cups, Bunzl Catering Supplies, Caffe Nero, Costa Coffee, Dart Products Europe, Greggs, Huhtamaki, International Paper, McDonald’s UK, Nestlé, Pret A Manger, Seda Group, Starbucks, and Stora Enso.

ACE UK will also work to include cups in local authority kerbside collections through which the authorities currently collect beverage cartons.

Image: ACE UK and 14 companies agree to boost paper cup recycling. Photo: The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE).