24 Mar. 2026: James Cropper, the papermaker behind the scheme, is working with Little Coffee Cup and Carlisle United Football Club to recycle coffee cups collected at Brunton Park.

The paper made from recycled cups will be used to produce future Little Coffee Cup products, demonstrating a full-circle approach to recycling and sustainability.

Stephanie Walker, head of technical at James Cropper, said: "The initiative highlights how regional partnerships can play a critical role in advancing circular economy principles.

"By combining local expertise, venue-based collection, and specialist recycling capability, the project provides a tangible example of how materials can be captured, processed, and reintroduced into manufacturing cycles within a defined geographic ecosystem."

The project builds on the launch of Little Coffee Cup’s Big Surprise, a children’s book made from recycled coffee cups using James Cropper’s CupCycling process.

The collection and recycling scheme will run for four home games, supported by North West Recycling and Hayley Slack, author of the book.

Ms Slack said: "With millions of disposable cups used annually in the UK, initiatives such as this demonstrate how coordinated action across supply chains, supported by community engagement, can contribute to more effective material recovery.

"By linking storytelling with infrastructure and local partnerships, the project illustrates how circularity can be embedded not only in products, but in the systems that support them."

The initiative brings together partners including co-cr8, which is supplying branded bins, CupPrint, which has produced a bespoke paper-lined cup, and NW Recycling, which will collect and bale the used cups.

By Emma Kennedy www.newsandstar.co.uk