PLASTIC FREE JULY // KEEP-CUPS
You don’t need me to explain how a keep-cup works.
But you might not know that single use cups from many take-away outlets cannot be recycled, no matter how much you want them to be. If the cup is lined with polyethylene (which many are, because it makes the cup waterproof) then it’s very difficult to recycle because the outer and the inner layer would need to be separated in order to be recycled properly. It costs too much money for most councils to bother with.
It’s hard to tell if a take away cup is recyclable and it’s easy to stick it in the recycling bin and hope for the best – “aspirational recycling” as it’s known. We’ve all done it and it helps us sleep better at night.
But a non-recyclable cup in a recycling bin is bad news. It can contaminate the whole batch, forcing everything in it to be disposed of instead.
Of course, lots of cups are biodegradable now, and this is a great thing, but if it’s sent for incineration instead of to landfill then it won’t have the chance to decompose.
What a load of agro when all you want is a coffee.
Say no to single use cups. Get yourself a “keep-cup” and….keep it!
