Green Solutions Wide Bay has partnered with local businesses to introduce a sustainable way of enjoying a cup of coffee while helping the environment.
The composting company has teamed up with Endup Cups and The Windmill Café to help reduce the amount of takeaway cups ending up in landfill.
According to Green Solutions Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Projects Nathan Freeman the partnership worked in three stages to complete the full circle of recycling.
He said Endup Cups were being provided to local cafes, which were then collected in special recycling bins and finally taken to the Green Solutions facility on Windermere Road for composting.
“We were initially approached by Taylor at Endup Cups who was looking at a more sustainable way to dispose of coffee cups,” Nathan said.
“His products are more beneficial to the environment because the bio-film used to manufacture the cups is 100% compostable.
“The cups are put through our grinder with other green waste and it breaks down as part of the composting process.”
The initiative has been rolled out in time for International Compost Awareness Week, which is held from May 2 to 8 and aims to raise awareness of the importance of compost.
Taylor McMahon from Endup Cups said it was estimated 2.7 million cups were thrown away every single day in Australia.
He said the partnership was important not only for the environment, but also in educating people about how composting works.
“Despite what people think, compostable packaging doesn’t break down unless it goes into a commercial composting facility,” he said.
“Products were originally made for purpose without any thought process to the impact they were having.
“But thanks to our partnerships with local cafes and Green Solutions Wide Bay, we can now enjoy delicious coffee, and have a positive impact on the environment around us.”
Compostable coffee cups at Windmill
The Windmill Cafe owner Joey Caurana has also jumped onboard with the initiative and said the recycling process was easy for all involved.
“When our guests order a takeaway coffee, we offer it to them in a new compostable cup,” he said.
“Once they’ve finished with it, they return the cup to our compostable collection station located at our cafes.
“From there, Endup Cups sort them and deliver them to Green Solutions where they are turned into compost.”
Joey said the initiative was creating a positive impact on the environment and with his customers.
“We save thousands of cups from landfill now that we have the compostable cups that end up going to Green Solutions instead,” he said.
“It’s great knowing that the compost created is returned to the land that our amazing local farmers use to grow the fruit and vegetables that end up back on our guests’ plates in our beautiful regions’ cafes.
“Our customers are happy knowing they’re part of the compostable circle that we have created.”
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