Hot cups
Compostable & Recyclable where accepted
We will continue to work with our partners and customers to provide up to date information and support about coffee cup recycling.
Compostability will always be our focus for our entire range, with industry-leading certification and expertise to help clients Close the Loop.
Get in touch! environmental@vegware.com
Let us answer your questions on
cup recycling
- What about Vegware coffee cups? are they recyclable?
- Regardless of whether compostable, or conventional PE lined, coffee cups need a separate coffee cup recycling stream to get recycled. Vegware cups are accepted within certain cup recycling schemes in the UK. Get in touch with environmental@vegware.com to check on acceptability.
- What is the difference between recyclable and recycled?
These two words often get mixed up, but they are very different.
Recyclable: is it able to be recycled? This refers to an item’s options when it is discarded – can it be reprocessed into a new product? Recycled content: has it already been recycled?
Recycled content is material which was previously recovered from the waste of a different product. So when Vegware talks about our recycled paper bags, these are made with paper which was previously waste.
- How do I know what products are ‘recyclable if clean and dry, where accepted?’
You will find the phrase in relevant product descriptions on our website and in our marketing material.
Our on-product messaging is aimed at people using the products to eat their lunch. Our messaging here will stay focused on industrial composting. We aren’t adding recyclability info to our on-product messaging, as we want to avoid accidentally encouraging food waste contamination in otherwise dry recycling.
- What does ‘recyclable if clean and dry, where accepted’ mean?
Let’s break it down:
‘if clean and dry’ – packaging must be free from food contamination, rinse it out to ensure all leftovers are removed
‘where accepted’ – foodservice packaging isn’t generally a target material in dry mixed recycling. Some waste collectors may accept clean food packaging - check with your waste contractor.
- What are the challenges with recycling foodservice packaging?
- Foodservice packaging as a category is hard to recycle – it’s made of a mix of different materials and once used to serve food it risks contaminating dry recycling streams with leftovers. This is exactly why compostable packaging exists, it enables the whole category to be captured together for organics recycling, along with the leftover food.
- Are Vegware products recyclable?
Many of Vegware’s fibre-based products are recyclable if clean and dry, where accepted. These products have passed a pulpability test in a laboratory, replicating how a standard paper mill recycles paper and card. A pulpability test is when a product is pulped to measure how much fibre it would provide for making new products. The certification we hold follows the testing protocol PTS-RH 021:2012.
Vegware still recommends industrial composting as the best solution for our products. Use our Keen to compost form to find the best composting solution for your business.
