Coffee cup recycling scheme to open up in Gosport

Huhtamaki, which manufactures cups and supplies many household names such as McDonald’s, says the scheme is the first of its kind in the UK.

It will place recycling bins in two Gosport Borough Council-owned buildings, the town hall and Gosport Leisure Centre, which will accept both the cups and the plastic lids, which will be recycled into new products such as garden furniture, park benches and flower tubs.

The scheme aims to cut down on the amount of rubbish generated.

The news comes after the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs noted a low rate of recycling in Gosport compared to the rest of the region with only 22 per cent of rubbish being recycled.

As reported earlier this month, it was the lowest in the area with Fareham’s rate for the 2016/7 year 33.2 per cent, Portsmouth’s 24.7 per cent and Havant’s 92.5 per cent.

Neil Whittall from Huhtamaki said: ‘Huhtamaki has worked on a number of recycling initiatives with customers, consumers and charitable organisations but this is the first where our primary partner is a local authority.

‘We are looking forward to working with the team and to contributing towards increased recycling rates in the Gosport borough.’

According to Huhtamaki, the goal is to extend the scheme to have collection points across the town.

Leader of Gosport Borough Council Cllr Mark Hook said: ‘I’m delighted that we can work with Huhtamaki on this.

‘We’re one of the first boroughs to try such a scheme, and it’s a great opportunity to show how councils and manufacturers can be ambitious in finding innovative ways to recycle.

‘I look forward to working with Huhtamaki on this important issue.’