Huhtamäki and Stora Enso launch European paper cup recycling initiative

The programme aims to recycle half a billion paper cups in the first two years in Brussels and Amsterdam | Photo credit: Stora Enso

Huhtamäki is collaborating with Stora Enso to launch The Cup Collective, a paper cup recycling initiative which will initially be introduced across Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. 
 

The European Union has set a recycling target for paper and board packaging of 75% by 2025 and 85% by 2030. 

The Cup Collective seeks to capture the value of used paper cups on an industrial scale and improve collection infrastructure across Europe. 

The programme aims to recycle half a billion paper cups in the first two years via collection bins located in cafés, restaurants, office buildings and transport hubs in the Brussels and Amsterdam metropolitan areas. 

Huhtamäki and Stora Enso have issued an open invitation for partners from across the supply chain to get involved in working towards a systemic European solution.  

The programme is being managed by UK-based sustainability consultancy Co-cre8, which launched its own recycling solution, Simply Cups, in the Benelux region in 2019. 

“Huhtamäki is a world leader in developing and manufacturing recyclable fibre products. For us, every cup counts. We want to go to the next step and ensure that recyclable cups also get effectively recycled. We have combined the best expertise from Huhtamäki and Stora Enso to create this new vision for industrial scale cup collection and recycling,” said Eric Le Lay, President, Fiber Foodservice EAO at Huhtamäki.   

Espoo-based Huhtamäki, which operates in 37 countries globally, achieved revenues of €3.6bn ($3.6bn) in 2021. Stora Enso, which operates from its headquarters in Helsinki, reported sales of €10.2bn ($10.2bn) over the same period.