Coffee Cup Recycling Project

Why this started

This project started from seeing so many takeaway coffee cups going to landfill or incineration.

I looked into it and found that 7.5 million cups per day in the UK are disposed of in normal bins.

I immediately thought there must be a better way.

Looking at what already exists

On further investigation, I found that recycling schemes do exist, but they fail at the critical collection phase and frankly seem to be about box ticking.

I looked at the whole process from first principles and realised that a different approach was needed—one that was ultra low cost.

From idea to physical solution

That thinking led to the idea for a self-stacking collection tube.

To keep costs down, it's made from upcycled 4" drain pipe. The prototypes were built at Tetbury Mend Shed and the logo stencils were created at Stroud Library—utilising community facilities, which is what Sustain Cotswolds is all about.

What happens next

The next phase is to deploy more collection tubes and move to the storage and compression stage, ready for onward transport to a specialist processing company.

Why this matters

This project is part of the circular economy—it's about doing the right thing.

Cup collection fits naturally alongside Sustain Cotswolds' wider waste services, making it economically viable while positioning Tetbury as a leader in sustainability.

There's a spin-off benefit too: demonstrating positive environmental action helps make Tetbury an even more desirable destination for visitors.

Each collection tube also offers the potential for sponsorship, giving local businesses a visible way to support the project.

Final note

This project is based on simple actions that can be economically delivered, locally supported, and practically used.

It shows that small ideas, when thought through properly, can have real value, especially when they involve the community and make it easier for people to do the right thing.