Goodbye Plastic, Hello Paper!

Since the single-use plastic ban the demand for plastic vending cups has significantly diminished. Our suppliers have made the difficult decision to stop producing these cups after March 2024.

The type of plastic used to make our vending cups was not part of the ban, but the wider impact has meant it is unviable for our supplier to produce.

We have started the process of changing from plastic cups, across to the paper equivalent. The feedback from customers so far has been positive, but this gives a good opportunity to talk about paper cups and future legislation.

In 2025 there is new legislation to boost the recycling of paper cups and make it mandatory for them to be recycled. DEFRA and the government want all hot beverage outlets, whether it be us or your favourite coffee shop, to use the same composition of cup, a PE Lined Cup. The PE lining is what stops the drink leaking through, but it presents a problem; PE is plastic, and few facilities can separate the lining from the paper board.

We are now pressing ahead to a fully paper cup service.