Question 1

What is the cup problem?

Accepted Answer

Paper cups such as coffee cups, smoothie cups, ice-cream cups and take-away soft drink cups are made with paper but are lined with plastic to waterproof the inside of the cup.  
 
These cups are widely used yet cannot be recycled in traditional recycling. This includes your home, office, or public recycling bins.  
 
We have limited data on the impact of paper cups globally, but we know that more than 1 billion coffee cups are sent to landfill each year in Australia.  
 
Simply Cups was created to save paper cups from landfill and give them a second life.

Question 2

Why can't you recycle cups in regular recycling?

Accepted Answer

Regular recycling bins (such as your home, office, or public recycling bins) are collected by material recovery facilities (MRFs). 
 
There are several different reasons why MRFs cannot recycle paper cups these include:  
- The plastic lining in cups 
- The shape of the cup 
- The weight of the cup  
 
Simply Cups works with a number of partners and organisations to find innovative recycling solutions for paper cups. See how we recycle paper cups here.(https://www.simplycups.com.au/our-recycled-products)

Question 3

Are compostable cups better than paper cups?

Accepted Answer

Not always. Compostable cups are made from a range of plant-based products and are marketed as more sustainable as they can 'break down'.  
 
However, this is not always the case.

1. Most compostable cups are not composted appropriately. Compostable cups need to be either composted at home (in a worm farm, or traditional composting) or in a commercial facility (with large composting machines that accept compostable products). Compostable cups that are added to landfill produce methane and will not compost.  
2. Compostable cups, when composted, create a compost that feeds the ground, but it is not always seen as a high value product.

Recycled paper cups are a higher value product as they create products that replace virgin materials, for example recycled coffee cups are used to create asphalt for PAK-PAVE™ Roads. This asphalt is more sustainable (with a 24% lower carbon footprint) and more durable compared to regular asphalt.

Question 4

Why can't cups be made from 100% paper?

Accepted Answer

Paper cups contain a waterproof lining which is typically made of polyethylene (plastic) or a plant-based material to prevent the liquids from seeping through the paper. While it’s a great idea to just have cups made from 100% paper, the cups wouldn’t be suitable for holding liquid.

Unfortunately, both plastic or plant-based lined cups are not recyclable in traditional recycling, but they can be recycled through Simply Cups.

Question 5

Why doesn't Simply Cups advocate for banning the use of takeaway cups?

Accepted Answer

Avoiding takeaway cups in the first place is the best outcome. Reusable cups and dine-in options have the lowest environmental impact, and we actively encourage and promote these behaviours.

At the same time, millions of takeaway cups are still used every day in Australia. Simply Cups exists to address this current reality by providing a practical, circular solution that diverts cups from landfill and turns them into new products.

Policy, bans and behaviour change all play an important role in reducing waste over the long term. Our role is complementary: to ensure that while takeaway cups are still in use, they are recovered and recycled responsibly rather than discarded.

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