9 Sept. 2025: The National Cup Recycling Scheme – which is administered by Valpak – has announced plans for a £45,000 project fund to support pioneering projects that effectively capture and recycle on-the-go paper cups, preventing them from ending up in landfill. The competition launches in September, with the winner announced in December.
The scheme is the UK’s largest paper cup recycling scheme. Funded by participating brands – Costa Coffee, McDonald's, Pret a Manger, Caffè Nero, Lavazza Professional, Greggs and Burger King – it brings major retailers, waste management companies and UK paper mills together to increase the number of paper cups collected and recycled in the UK. Since the launch of the scheme, 233 million cups have been recycled into high quality products such as packaging, stationery and even Remembrance Day poppies.
The new fund is a major investment to encourage innovation in cup recycling infrastructure and reuse. The aim is to trigger scalable ideas that will make a real difference in the future, and any organisation, business or community can apply, including partnerships and collaborations.
Local authorities are vital partners in the drive to increase cup recycling. As well as managing the majority of household and on-the-go waste and reporting on the volumes of waste arising, they are especially well-placed to communicate with members of the public. The success of any new scheme or material stream is dependent on community buy-in, so local authority experience in raising awareness is invaluable.
As we prepare for the launch of the fund, we are asking local authorities to get involved, share with their networks and join the movement to build a more sustainable system for cup recycling.
Applicants will be invited to submit proposals to one of three focus areas:
- Awareness campaigns – Bold, creative behaviour change projects that promote cup recycling in workplaces, events or public spaces.
- Recycling infrastructure improvements – Groundbreaking innovations to enhance cup collection, return, and sortation at shopping centres, travel hubs, hospitality venues, or other high-footfall locations.
- Research and evidence building – High-quality, novel research addressing timely and strategically important challenges in paper cup recycling, looking into improving the recyclability, recovery, and environmental impact of paper cups or evaluating the feasibility of collection through household recycling schemes.
All shortlisted applicants will receive financial and expert support to refine their proposal, as well as guidance on networking, how to make referrals to relevant stakeholders, and help in preparing their final pitch. The final three shortlisted projects will develop full project proposals, including a final interview with the judging panel made up of the NCRS brands.
More information will be available when the fund launches in September. Potential applicants can find out more at Beyond the Bin Fund | Recycling Paper Cups.
By Hannah Osman, Manager National Cup Recycling Scheme