£45k fund to support paper cup recycling initiatives

The Beyond the Bin Fund will support initiatives to improve the capture and recycling of paper cups.

Set to open in September, the competition will invite organisations, businesses, universities and community groups to put forward proposals that tackle challenges in cup recycling.

A winning project is expected to be announced in December.

Since its launch in 2018, The NCRS, funded by brands including Costa Coffee, McDonald’s, Pret a Manger, Caffè Nero, Lavazza Professional, Greggs and Burger King, reported that it has recycled 233 million cups into new products.

According to environmental action NGO WRAP, 3.2 billion single-use cups are used annually in the UK.

Valpak released a report on operating single-use cup takeback schemes in November 2024.

NCRS fund proposals

The new fund is intended to encourage projects with potential to make a long-term impact on recycling rates. Proposals can focus on one of three areas:

• Awareness campaigns: Behaviour change initiatives to increase cup recycling in workplaces, events or public spaces.
• Recycling infrastructure: New approaches to collection, return and sorting in high-footfall locations such as transport hubs, hospitality venues or shopping centres.
• Research: Studies examining the recyclability and recovery of cups, or assessing the feasibility of integrating cup recycling into household collections.

Shortlisted applicants will receive financial support as well as guidance on networking, making referrals to stakeholders and help in refining their proposals before presenting to a judging panel made up of scheme partners.

Hannah Osman, Scheme Manager, said: “This new fund is a major investment to encourage innovation in cup recycling infrastructure and reuse.

“We are hoping to trigger scalable ideas that will make a real difference in the future.”

Valpak calls for local authority involvement

Valpak highlighted the importance of local authorities in the success of the initiative, noting their role in managing household and on-the-go waste streams and their ability to engage the public.

The organisation said that council’s experience in raising awareness would be “invaluable” in supporting community participation.

The scheme is encouraging local authorities to share details of the fund with their networks and consider participating in applications or partnerships.

Further details are expected to be made available when the fund opens in September.