An analysis of

as a way to reduce coffee cup wasteThomas de Hoop

Anique van den Berg

Luca Castellanza

Agenda1. The coffee-cup waste challenge

2. Different Approaches

3. The “GreenYourCup” project

4. Necessary Marketing Campaign

5. Feasibility of GreenYourCup

6. Conclusion

1. The coffee-cup waste challenge

Billions of cups

every year end up

in landfills.

High Ecological Footprint: much

water, wood and energy needed

for production.

Customers are not aware of

the magnitude of the

problem and don’t know if

cup is recyclable.

2. Evaluation of Alternatives

Education of customers

Current model

Other coffee cup materials

2. Evaluation of Alternatives: Current Model

● Current: paper cup with

polyethylene coating.

● Very hard to recycle.

● Long and costly process.

● Not accepted by paper

recycling mills.

● Usually ends up in

landfill.

● Improves from

polystyrene cups.

2. Evaluation of Alternatives: Other coffee cup materials

100% paper cups not

possible due to liquid and

forbidden due to health and

safety regulations.

Ceramic cups are reusable

and more environmentally

friendly but not viable in to-

go business.

Polystyrene is forbidden

due to release of toxins

and non-

biodegradability.

2. Evaluation of Alternatives: Education of customers

The difficulty in

recycling the cup still

remains.

Educative measures

are uncertain and

hard to be

implemented on

national scale.

Only 25% of coated

cups is thrown in the

right paper bin.

We conclude that

tackling the “cup-material” problem has priority

over educating customers to act more responsibly

towards recycling.

Mid-conclusion to the problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVZ09Jik2u8

3. The Green Your Cup Initiative

3. The Green Your Cup InitiativeStep One:

● Create a cup that is made of 100% paper● No chemicals, no coatings

Step Two:● Create a thin liner of plastic● Welded separately inside the cup

Step Three:● Cup is thrown in the paper bin● Cups materials are easily separated and recycled● Coffee cup waste is reused up to 7 times

3. The Green Your Cup Initiative

Product addition: Use of Bioplastic (PLA)● 75% less CO2 footprint compared to polyethylene

=+ =

3. The Green Your Cup Initiative

Tackles the recycling

procedure. Does not

require major changes in

customer behaviour.

Targets the 25% of correctly

recycled cups.

Same costs, more

sustainable and less

uncertain than other

material and education-

centric approaches.

Paper and plastic can be

easily separated and

recycled up to 7 times.

4. Necessary Marketing Campaign● Encourage recycling

● Positive messages more effective than negative ones

● Video clips for commercial use by coffee outlets

● 7 different paper/carton outcomes

● “I have 7 lives ahead of me”- Green Your Cup

● Dependent on governmental facilities (paper bins)

5. Feasibility of GreenYourCup

Coffee-chains can reduce

their waste share and

increase customer loyalty

and reputation.

Cup producers can

benefit from a simpler,

shorter and cost-efficient

process.

The cups take one

twentieth of time to

recycle compared to

coated cups. No

specialist machines are

needed.

Aware customers will

reinforce their identity of

responsible citizens and

safely recycle the cup.

6. Conclusion

Requires cooperation

from coffee

companies,

governments and

recycling plants.

No drastic change

required in consumer

habits.

Other approaches to

the problem didn't

seem to work.

No increase in costs

for recycling mills and

coffee outlets.

Financial business

perspective: 52 billion

cups p.a.

Sustainable and viable

solution.

Let’s Do It!

Questions/Recommendations