READING EAST MP Matt Rodda welcomed a new recycling initiative which would see cups from this year’s Reading Festival recycled to make new products such as garden furniture, playmats and industrial-related products.

The project, recently announced by the Paper Cup Alliance, will see collection points in and around Reading as part of a nationwide recycling initiative between 14 companies and the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK). All collected cups will be reprocessed at ACE UK’s facility in Halifax, which has a current capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year to help turn this waste into second-life material.

Matt said:
“Reading is not alone in having a large number of coffee shops. However, I’m both concerned and surprised that the town is using six million disposable paper cups per year – so I very much welcome this recycling project to help turn this waste into new materials and help to reduce the overall waste output. The many tens of thousands of cups that are left as waste at the annual Reading Festival will be put to good use and turned into something which can be of purpose again instead of going to landfill
waste.”

He added:
“I also want to thank the Reading businesses which are already promoting the use of a reusable ‘bamboo cup’ under the ‘Refill Reading’ initiative, which is a travel cup made from sustainable sources. Participating outlets are giving discounts to customers presenting their bamboo cup for their coffee purchase, and I think this is great news which should be applauded. We can all learn to be more careful about the waste we create, and I would encourage people wherever possible to consider using reusable cups when they can to not only make a difference to the environment by reducing waste, but also getting a discount too.”