A LEADING Altrincham-based solicitors firm has advised on a deal which will see 14 organisations, including Starbucks, McDonald’s UK, Pret a Manger and Greggs, accelerate recycling of PE lined papers cups.

Myerson Solicitors advised the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK) on the agreement with 14 organisations across the paper cup supply chain.

It will see the signatories work towards a long-term, nationwide paper cup recycling solution which complements and builds on the recycling activities achieved so fat by the paper cup industry.

The companies signed up to 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.

Using ACE UK’s extensive recycling expertise, gained running the beverage carton industry’s recycling programme, the 14 companies will fund an activity programme which will give many more people access to recycling for paper cups. The programme includes:

• From January 1, 2018 all ACE UK bring banks will accept paper cups for recycling, delivering an additional 382 recycling points located in 97 local authorities across the UK. With a further 33 recycling points across an additional eight local authorities scheduled during the next phase.

• Cups from these recycling points will be processed at ACE UK’s recycling facility in Halifax.

• Drawing on its experience and existing relationships with local authorities, waste management organisations and recycling bodies, ACE UK will work to include cups in local authority kerbside collections. Currently 66 per cent of local authorities collect beverage cartons at kerbside, in addition to those which collect through bring banks, and it is hoped to achieve similar levels of coverage for cups.

ACE UK has been successfully running the beverage carton industry’s recycling programme for the past 10 years driving significant increases in carton recycling as part of its role as the UK beverage carton industry trade body.

During this time it has worked closely with local authorities and waste management companies so that today 92 per cent of local authorities collect beverage cartons for recycling through either bring banks or kerbside collection.

Commenting on the agreement Richard Hands, CEO of ACE UK, said: “The paper cup industry is facing very similar recycling challenges to the ones the beverage carton industry faced when we started our programme 10 years ago.

"While 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. Whilst it is early days, we have a clear measured plan agreed and expect to see significant progress in cup recycling over the next two years and beyond.”

ACE UK was advised by Myerson Solicitors, led by commercial partner Carla Murray and assisted by corporate commercial solicitor Terry Moore.

Carla Murray said: “It was a pleasure to work with ACE UK and the other organisations involved in the project, who are clearly passionate about the recycling infrastructure in the UK. We have no doubt that the collaboration will be successful and look forward to working with ACE UK again in the future.”

The agreement builds on activities implemented and supported during the last year by the companies involved, such as in-store cup recycling, single site and pilot recycling projects including ‘One More Shot’ and the ‘Square Mile Challenge’.

Neil Whittall, global category director of Speciality Coffee at Huhtamaki UK, and chair of the Paper Cup Recycling and Recovery Group (PCRRG), said: “While paper cups are fully recyclable, the industry recognises that many are not being recycled because of a lack of collection facilities. Companies across the industry have been working to address this barrier and increase cup recycling.

“This agreement with ACE UK represents a significant advance in UK recycling infrastructure for paper cups. It will also help us accelerate progress towards the PCRRG’s objective of ensuring the majority of the UK population have access to information, schemes and facilities to allow them to recycle their paper cup, as set out in our Paper Cup Manifesto.

“Furthermore by generating greater volumes of cups for recycling this will create a market for the material, making cups more attractive to waste management companies and creating the potential for more schemes to be introduced to collect cups from a much wider range of locations such as offices and high street locations.”

Mike Turner MD, International Paper Foodservice Europe and chairman of European packaging trade body Pack2Go, added: “This collaborative agreement, funded entirely by the signatories, is a clear demonstration of the commitment of these organisations, from across the paper cup supply chain, to address the barriers to recycling and deliver practical solutions to maximise recycling of paper cups.”