From October 2025, all businesses that have 10 or more full-time staff and that sell drinks in fibre-based single-use cups will have to recycle them by law.

According to Biffa, more than 62 million single-use cups are discarded in the UK every week. Its new service provides compliance advice and disposal points, bags and bins. Cups are then collected, bulked and baled before being transported to a UK paper mill to be transformed into new cardboard packaging.

Daniel Barrett, of Biffa’s reactive services, said: ‘Far too many recyclable takeaway cups end up in general waste, preventing perfectly good cardboard from being transformed back into new products.

‘But despite the eagerness of many businesses to become more sustainable and compliant, the UK lacked sufficient options for the convenient and efficient nationwide recycling of these cups.’

Mr Barrett added: ‘Our takeaway cup scheme shows how we’re actively reducing waste by helping people and businesses re-use, recycle and redistribute as much of it as possible so we can all leave a smaller footprint.’

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