Woolworths recently introduced its new coffee cup recycling initiative to all Western Cape stores with cafés. The custom-designed recycling bin will enable in-store customers to ensure their coffee cups are recycled in three quick, easy steps.
The first step is to dispose of the plastic lid in the first partition which is sized so that only lids can fit in. The remaining liquid in the cup then needs to be poured into the liquid partition which has a 1.5-litre bucket in it that is emptied and sanitised between uses. Finally, the coffee cup is placed into the third partition which is shaped to resemble a coffee cup to make it easier for the user.
The lids and cups will be collected from Woolworths stores through the reverse logistics system which uses return trips to transport recyclable store waste to the Woolworths Distribution Centre where it is collected and sorted before moving onto the recyclers.
“Once we have rolled the coffee cup recycling bins out nationally, we believe that this will be the most extensive coffee cup recycling programme in the country,” said Feroz Koor, Woolworth’s Group Head of Sustainability. He added that they have seen a positive response from coffee lovers at the Woolworths Garden Centre store.
The coffee cup recycling programme is a further development on the Woolworths Good Business Journey that aims to achieve zero waste to landfill. Its commitments include eliminating single-use plastics by 2020 and ensuring that all its packaging is either recyclable or reusable by 2022.
