A petition calling for UK coffee shops to switch to full recyclable coffee cups has reached over 6,000 signatures. Credit: Marco Verch

A petition for coffee shops in the UK to switch to fully recyclable coffee cups has reached over 6,000 signatures, marking World Environment Day.

It was started by eco-influencer Madeleine Olivia in partnership with Frugalpac, manufacturer of the UK’s first fully recyclable cup made from recycled paper.

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The petition states that UK consumers will throw away a third more single-use coffee cups by 2030, with less than 0.25% of disposable cups being recycled currently.

The UK uses five billion coffee cups a year, which creates 30,000 tonnes of waste a year according to research from Eunomia Research & Consulting.

Many consumers believe cups are widely recyclable, but UK recycling plants cannot easily recycle virgin paper-based or compostable cups. Over 5,000 people in Britain have joined the coffee cup revolution, a campaign for UK coffee shops to stock only sustainable cups made from recycled paper that is easily recycled.

Frugalpac head of sales and marketing Rebecca Turner said: “The number of cups not being processed efficiently in the UK is extremely worrying, but it is fantastic to see so many people backing us in our efforts to raise awareness of the current waste problem. Earlier this year we launched the Frugal Cup, the UK’s first fully recyclable coffee cup made from 100% recycled paper, with the idea of tackling this issue head-on.

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“There has always been a disconnect between the alleged environmental credentials of many virgin-paper based and compostable cups used by coffee shops and what actually happens to them once they’ve been thrown away. Frugalpac is proud to have led the way in educating both consumers and operators on the current level of waste produced by disposable coffee cups in the UK, encouraging coffee shops, restaurants and offices to #getFrugal by making the switch to the Frugal Cup.”

The United Nations World Environment Day began in 1974 and encourages worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment and this year falls on 5 June.