Simply Cups Australia
In the lead up to Sustainable September, South Melbourne Market has partnered with Simply Cups, Australia's first takeaway coffee cup recycling program.
While the Market encourages visitors to BYO reusable cup or dine in for their daily coffee fix, takeaway cups still contribute to the Market's daily waste. The new partnership with Closed Loop's Simply Cups program means takeaway coffee cups will be recycled instead of ending up in landfill - a great addition to the Market's sustainability initiatives.
"We are excited that South Melbourne Market is leading the way to be the first major market to recycle coffee cups. Markets are a popular place to enjoy a take-away coffee, and if you use a Simply Cups collection point we'll turn that waste into a resource." said Rob Pascoe, Managing Director at Closed Loop.
How does it work?
To recycle coffee cups effectively, they need to be collected as a clean waste stream, so we have installed designated collection tubes throughout the Market. Any paper cup can be placed in the collection tube for recycling (lids are separated and placed into comingle recycling).
Simply Cups work with local process innovators who have developed new technology to separate the plastic liner from the paper cup, allowing these two materials to be recycled. They collect the takeaway cups which are then combined with other recycled plastic materials (that would otherwise go to landfill e.g. grain bags, straws, lids, etc.) to create a resin suitable to upcycle into new products such as bench seats, kerbing and car stops. The product is also used to create a reusable coffee cup (the rCup) and the Stay Tray - a reusable coffee cup tray made from recycled cups!