Simply Cups has collected 50 million paper cups across Australia and New Zealand, diverting them from landfill through its recycling initiative. The program, run by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, gathers cups from over 1500 collection points, including coffee, soft drink, ice-cream, frozen yoghurt, and Slurpee paper cups.
Brendan Lee, circular economy manager at Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, said the milestone highlights the program’s impact but noted that many paper cups still end up in landfill.
"Our solution works, and Simply Cups has the capacity to collect, process, and recycle more," Lee said. "We are excited by what the future holds, particularly with our recognition as an Alternative Destination under the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL)."
The program boasts more than 690 public collection locations, with 7-Eleven Australia as a pioneering partner. These collection points are found in schools, universities, shopping centres, office buildings, construction sites, and major events.
Rob Pascoe, managing director at Closed Loop Environmental Solutions, said community participation has been key to the program’s success.
"Once the community knows they can recycle their paper cups separately, they either collect cups at home and drop them off at a collection location or ensure they return their cup daily at one of our many convenient collection sites," Pascoe said.
Schools have played an active role, with Holy Cross Catholic Parish Primary School incorporating Simply Cups into its sustainability education. Lucy Barbuto, a teacher and WEN coordinator, explained the initiative's impact on students: "Simply Cups is a valuable resource for our school to educate students and the wider community about sustainability and foster lifelong learning."
