Melton City Council launches coffee cup recycling program

Published on 02 August 2024

Melton City Council is launching a trial coffee cup recycling program that aims to stop more than 50,000 paper cups going to landfill and give them a second life.

The two-year trial run in partnership with Simply Cups starts this month and will take place at six Council sites across the City of Melton.

Visitors to the Caroline Springs Library, Melton Library and Cobblebank Stadium will also be able to take part in the recycling program.

It is estimated that more than 2 billion paper cups, which could fill 2,250 garbage trucks, are discarded in Australia each year.

Disposable paper cups cannot be recycled via standard kerbside recycling as they contain waterproof plastic lining.

However, if collected and processed at specialised recycling facilities, the cups can be converted to make building material, roads and lightweight concrete products.

All types of paper cups including coffee cups, takeaway soft drink cups, ice cream cups and compostable/biodegradable cups will be accepted during the trial.

Simply Cups is Australia’s largest takeaway coffee cups recycling program and has saved more than 40 million cups from landfill.

Learn more at www.melton.vic.gov.au/CoffeeCupRecycling. 

Quotes attributable to City of Melton Mayor Cr Kathy Majdlik

“This is a great initiative that will help create a more sustainable environment for future generations."

“By recycling paper cups through a specialist processer, we can reduce contamination in kerbside recycling and stop unnecessary waste going to landfill."