Coffee cups for garden
A new initiative is asking South Auckland coffee drinkers to turn cups into garden food.
Fuel distributor Z Energy is going the sustainable way with its new compostable coffee cups and lids. According to a study by the company, about 600,000 coffee cups in the south could pass going to a landfill.
The new compostable cups are made from sustainably sourced paper board and bioplastics. Additionally, they are printed with non-toxic inks.
In South Auckland, Z has set up cup collection stations to make it easier for consumers to recycle. The used cups are turned into garden food. They are also internationally certified by Vincotte to fully biodegrade in commercial composting conditions.
In 2015, nearly 686,588 singleuse coffee cups were sold by Z in the south.
Z sustainability
Emily Watt says manager traditional takeaway coffee cups are ‘‘actually devilish for the environment’’.
‘‘Although they’re made of cardboard, they’re plastic-coated on the inside, which makes them very difficult to recycle,’’ she adds.
Watt states that many don’t realise that their daily takeaway coffee is ‘‘contributing to thousands of tonnes of waste’’ but the new cups and ‘‘even the lids could be fertilising people’s roses 90 days after use’’.