Officials representing BWG Group and its coffee partners. Credit: Spar Ireland.

Convenience retailer Spar Ireland has switched to 100% compostable and fully biodegradable coffee cups in all SPAR and EUROSPAR supermarkets with immediate effect.

BWG Group, which operates the SPAR brand in Ireland, has collaborated with its coffee partners Insomnia, Bewley’s and Seattle’s Best Coffee to launch the biodegradable coffee cups. The move is expected to remove 19 million coffee cups each year.

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The biodegradable coffee cups, which are certified by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Board, are created using raw materials and plant sources.

“We are pleased to have the support of our three exclusive coffee partners and to be able to source the solutions via Irish packaging companies.”

BWG Group chief executive Leo Crawford said: “BWG is the nation’s biggest seller of premium coffee to-go and with consumption levels continuing to rise, we recognise the importance of providing sustainable packaging solutions which meet the wants of consumers and are good for the environment.

“We are pleased to have the support of our three exclusive coffee partners and to be able to source the solutions via Irish packaging companies.”

Other sustainable initiatives of BWG include reusable KeepCups and branded Bags for Life.

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The company is also planning to launch other sustainable packaging solutions, such as compostable food containers, cutlery and drinking straws.

SPAR Ireland was established in 1963 and operates through SPAR, EUROSPAR and SPAR Express formats. It is operated by wholesale and retail company BWG Foods.

Earlier this month, SPAR South Africa replaced plastic bags with brown paper bags at checkout counters of its stores in the Western Cape in an effort to reduce plastic waste in the honour of the International Plastic Bag Free Day.