M&S launches ‘100% paper, plastic free’ takeaway cups

The supermarket chain has said it is the “first major high street coffee retailer” to do so.

The cup is available across 20 sites including M&S Cafés, vended coffee points, marketplaces within its food halls such as Stratford City, London, Leeds White Rose and Cheshunt, and will be rolled out to all M&S Café in the coming months.

M&S said that its cups can be recycled like any other paper product. They are said to use a “lining material which replicates the same barrier effect of plastic” and “performed just as strongly as plastic in independent testing and assurance”.

M&S cited the material’s plastic free accreditation, stating that “even if the cup ends up in landfill it will break down and leave no harmful plastics behind”.

The move follows M&S’ introduction of reusable paper bags at tills across every M&S store. The chain also offers a 50p discount incentive for customers who bring their own reusable cup to its cafes.

Leading by example

Alex Freudmann, managing director at M&S Food, said: “Our customers look to us to lead on the environment, and we are constantly aiming to raise the bar and lower our impact on the planet.

“With one in every two of us visiting a coffee shop several times a week, the long-lasting damage coffee cups can have on the planet without being properly recycled is huge. That’s why we were determined to bring a sustainable alternative to what’s out there today, and we’re proud to offer customers the first fully recyclable coffee cup on the high street.”