Coffee cups and pods

Coffee cups (disposable)

  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.
  • Recycle cups through Simply Cups.
  • Coffee cups labelled 'biodegradable' or 'compostable' may decompose in your home compost bin but should not be included in your green waste bin as they do not break down quickly enough.

Standard disposable coffee cups are made from paper, lined with plastic, also known at liquid paperboard. Currently, recycling liquid paperboard isn’t very effective through the yellow recycling bin and is classed as contamination. 

See also: Cartons

Coffee cup lids

Dispose of in your red landfill bin. 

Takeaway cup lids are usually made of hard polystyrene (triangle code 6) or a compostable plastic. Both types are not suitable for the kerbside recycling or green waste bin.

Coffee jars

  • Donate to charity.
  • Recycle in your yellow recycling bin.

Coffee granules 

  • Recycle in your green waste bin.
  • Put in your home compost.

Coffee pods or capsules

  • Dispose of in your red landfill bin.
  • Recycle via coffee pod suppliers. Visit the Planet Ark website for suppliers.
  • Recycle via TerraCycle.

Also check individual brand websites for information on disposal options.

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