On Friday 5th January 2018, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee published its second report following an ongoing investigation into single-use coffee cups. The Committee called for a 25p ‘latte levy’ to be applied to all disposable cups in a bid to replicate the successes of the 5p carrier bag charge scheme, MPs also called for a total ban on single-use cups by 2023 unless all products were recycled.  

Since its launch in 2016, spearheaded by chef and broadcaster Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Planglow has watched the coffee cup debate unfold with great interest and we welcome the government’s latest report which highlights some of the challenges posed by non-recyclable products, not least to our business.

However we feel that the current proposal is short-sighted as it fails to address sustainable long term solutions. Any levy applied should be met by packaging manufacturers and beverage retailers through changes in the PRN scheme. This would support investment in long term sustainable solutions through a combination of improvements to both the manufacture of packaging products and the facilities in which they are processed post-use.  It would also penalise the use of non-sustainable materials which are charged more through the PRN scheme.

The current proposal will unfairly tax the consumer, meanwhile the money raised will be taken up as general Treasury income rather than addressing the problem of waste packaging. Resources urgently need to be invested in the UK’s waste service infrastructure and until the disposal of all food and drink packaging waste is addressed a sustainable long-term solution will not be found.  

What’s the problem with Disposable Coffee Cups?

Single-use coffee cups are not widely recyclable. They are lined with a plastic coating which makes them waterproof and prevents the liquid inside from seeping out, it is incredibly difficult to separate this coating from the paper part of the cup and unless removed entirely it will contaminate the recycled paper stock. This includes PLA coatings (or polylactic acid), the material we use in our own cups and pots, which is sometimes incorrectly claimed to be recyclable. PLA is typically made from sugar cane or corn starch but while plant-based it will contaminate paper stock unless removed entirely before recycling. Contaminated paper stock has little commercial value therefore it is more difficult to sell on and turn into other products. Contaminated paper stock is often incinerated or sent to landfill. There are a couple of facilities operating within the UK that are able to recycle cups but these process a very small percentage of the waste currently created. 

We Need to Talk About All Waste, Not Just Coffee Cups 

These issues are not just limited to single-use coffee cups, the same rules apply to any paper based packaging products lined or coated with plastic. Likewise products must be free of all traces of food and drink too as once oil and grease have seeped into the paper fibres they cannot be removed. As before this contaminates stock making it unsuitable for recycling and subsequent reuse. 

What are the Alternatives to Recycling?  

Planglow has developed a range of more than 90 fully compostable food and drink packaging items that support operators looking to reduce the environmental impact of their grab and go offering. Products made from sustainably managed plant-based materials in place of harmful oil-based plastics.  

The majority - three quarters - of our products utilise materials that have been certified home compostable (OK Home Compost) which means they may be recycled into compost in a home composting environment along with vegetable peelings, garden and other waste. This offers the consumer complete autonomy over their own packaging waste. Our home compostable items are either entirely paper based or, where a ‘plastic’ is required to line the pack and / or form the window, we use a unique home compostable bio laminate. 

The remainder of our eco packaging products (which includes our disposable coffee cups and lids) are made from paper and / or certified industrially compostable (EN13432) materials such as PLA - materials designed to break down, along with food waste, in a commercial composting facility over a 12 week period where they are recycled into materials that may be used to help grow new crops.  

The Industry’s Reluctance 

Despite offering five compostable plant-based packaging ranges - items free from oil-based plastics and other non-sustainable materials - we have struggled to find waste service operators that accept compostable products. In 2016 we reached out looking for operators we could recommend to our customers. We found that very few facilities would take compostable packaging along with food waste due to the risk of contamination from non-compostable items. The industry was understandably wary having had its fingers burned in the past. Packaging manufactures had claimed products to be compostable but, in practise, they took much longer to break down than stated. Or worse still did not break down at all. 

Closed-loop solution

We have since partnered with a provider of on-site waste disposal units that use aerobic digestion to recycle food and packaging waste into either a soil improver or biomass fuel. This offers an environmental and cost effective closed-loop waste management solution for businesses able to capture waste onsite such as hospitals, work place canteens or universities and negates the waste management services in their area. As mentioned above, home composting remains an option for around three quarters of our products too regardless of waste collection services in the area in which they are purchased.   

The Future

Busy modern lifestyles continue to fuel the need for flexible out of home meal options - 20% of Brits eat lunch out of home up to twice a week, 10% up to four times and week and 5% five times a week or more* - so unless there is a swift and momentous cultural shift in our dining habits, that need will endure. But while the demand for food packaging remains high, it is unacceptable for any waste stream to be directed into our oceans or landfill sites when that ‘waste’ has the potential to be reused. 

We believe compostables offer a cost-effective solution for non-recyclable food packaging waste such as coffee cups. It transforms a wide variety of paper based products simply and sustainably into compost, soil conditioners and energy post-use regardless of ‘contamination’ from food and PLA liners. But if the system is going to work on a national, industrial scale it requires government backing - investment, research and education as received by other now successful schemes such as glass recycling.

Fining consumers a ‘latte levy’ is not the solution to the UK’s growing waste problem. Consumers and businesses alike should be encouraged not penalised for making environmental choices and we would debate where the responsibility falls if a compostable cup is not being processed correctly after it is used. In the meantime, while many of us are striving for a greener future and taking ownership of our carbon footprints as and where we can, without improvements to infrastructure the UK's hands remain tied.   

• A list of our home compostable packaging products
• Details of on-site aerobic waste disposal units  
• Please see our blog post 'Composting Q&A' for a break down of eco-packaging terms.  

*Euromonitor