According to the New Zealand Packaging Forum, New Zealanders consume an estimated 295 million takeaway cups every year.[i] We have conducted significant research into this issue and conclude that nearly all of them are consigned to landfill.
A small percentage of takeaway cups is compostable, but no takeaway cup is recyclable in New Zealand.[ii] So-called ‘recyclable’ cups just contaminate recycle waste streams and end up in landfill. That’s because, disturbingly, many of the labels on our takeaway cups are inaccurate or ambiguous and downright misleading. ‘Recyclable’ cups are lined with a plastic film. The reality is, recycling facilities in New Zealand do not have the capability to remove the plastic linings from cups, rendering them non-recyclable. Consequently, well intentioned, environmentally conscious consumers who put their takeaway cups in the recycling, are accidentally intensifying the greenhouse effect.
Judging by the growing number of stories in the media, we are not the only people concerned with this issue. Wellington coffee drinkers interviewed about what really happens to their takeaway cups were not pleased[iii]:
- “We all thought we were doing the right thing and we find out we’re not. Bit of a bummer really” Chris Blunden.
- “Recycling is a big thing but I find it isn’t really taken as seriously as it really should be” Callum McKindstry.
- “I think [people] will be disappointed, like they’ve been lied to” Nadia Taylor.
Just as all New Zealanders are responsible for diverting waste from landfill; New Zealanders have the right to accurate product information so they can make environmentally safe choices. Unlike the plastic bag issue, New Zealanders are woefully ill informed about the impact on the environment of takeaway cups.
Our group of Massey University students are proposing a policy. It works like this: Impose mandatory labelling on takeaway cups and lids. The labels are: ‘100% compostable’ or ‘non-recyclable in New Zealand’. Vague or ambiguous terms such as, ‘biodegradable’, ‘eco-friendly’, and ‘environmentally safe’ are confusing and misleading, therefore, not allowed. Our policy will enable New Zealanders to exercise their consumer rights and fulfil their responsibilities to our environment.
Labels will not incur cost to taxpayers or deplete the budget and will drive the uptake of environmentally sustainable business practices and consumption habits. For instance, café owners will become motivated to supply compostable cups, because compared to non-recyclables, the composting discourse enhances the café’s brand, thus strengthening their position in a competitive market. Subsequently, manufacturers come under market pressure to produce compostable cups, which are made from abundant renewable resources. Concurrently, killing demand for petroleum dependent, non-recyclable cups. Eventually non-recyclable cups become obsolete and exit our ecosystem.
Cups cast-off to landfill produce methane gas, as they decompose, which absorbs the sun’s heat and warms the Earth’s atmosphere. All sectors including manufacturing, retail, government and individuals, must work together to fulfil our Nationally Determined Contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: That is, to reduce emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Diverting cups from landfill, to composting facilities, is a strategy to reduce waste and therefore reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.
Thankfully the waste minimisation movement is gaining momentum in New Zealand. Z energy sets a cracking example. Seventy Z energy stations supply only compostable cups, provide designated collection points and facilitate collection and delivery of the cups to a composting facility. We too have identified an opportunity to divert waste from landfill to reduce emissions. We urge you to join the movement, support our proposal, and be celebrated by future generations for helping create a waste free New Zealand.
Policies that are good for the environment can also be good for creating jobs and improving our economy. For example, ‘We Compost’ (founded in 2009) diverts 25,000 kg of organic waste from landfill per week, and currently employs 10 staff. Moreover, they produce compost; a useful commodity that can help grow food for example. Shouldn’t our leaders be encouraging this growth industry?
Although takeaway cups in landfill are only part of our waste problem, with accurate labelling New Zealanders can be part of our waste solution. We are lobbying the government and members of parliament to help us make a small step that will lead to big changes. We propose all takeaway cups must be labelled either ‘100% compostable’ or ‘non-recyclable in New Zealand’. We are lobbying for our leaders to advocate for this policy and promote mandatory labelling as proposed.
We look forward to your feedback about our policy proposal and welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you further.
Yours sincerely,
Jules Newman, Yanling Yu, Larissa Pakura, Catherine Yang, Melinda Horan
References:
[i] Compostable coffee cups: The issues (n.d.). The Packaging Forum. Retrieved from https://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/campaigns/compostable-coffee-cups/
[ii] Waste: What should we do with our disposable coffee cups? (2016, September 20). Sustainable Business Network. Retrieved from https://sustainable.org.nz/sustainable-business-news/waste-what-should-we-do-with-our-disposable-coffee-cups/
[iii] Williams, K. (2016, August 1). Stuff: How our daily coffee ritual is hurting the environment. Retrieved from http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/82674698/How-our-daily-coffee-ritual-is-hurting-the-environment
That is really interesting to know and now I will be very wary of purchasing coffee in so called ‘recyclable’ take away cups.
This is awesome and I am supportive of this calling. I have been planning a business in the food trailer industry for some time now and have done my fair share of homework on ‘eco friendly’ options available to provide to my customers. It seems the industry is very misleading and they are in fact making ALOT of money from misleading the public. These ‘eco friendly’ options are not cheap and are in fact totally pointless when they just end up in the landfill anyway. One solution for me is to provide discount for customers bringing their own cups and to also provide re usable cups, sourced from op shops, which can be purchased cheap and refunded upon return. I would still provide the compostable cups and we aim to help inform the public and guide them into making healthy choices for our lives and our environment. Great work and all the best getting some positive change from the next Government!