Trinity College Dublin has launched a new initiative to promote the recycling of paper cups, transforming them into high-quality paper products.
The innovative paper cup recycling scheme, named The Cup Collective, has already attracted county-wide support, with 16 participating sites across Dublin.
The scheme, which is spearheaded by the Irish Paper Packaging Circularity Alliance (IPPCA), has received support from a number of Irish and International brands such as McDonald’s, Applegreen, Bewleys Tea & Coffee, Butlers Chocolate Cafés and Insomnia Coffee Company – which feature The Cup Collective bins in their sites across Dublin.
The cups are collected by Panda Recycling and prepared for shipment to James Cropper, a special paper mill with a cup recycling facility in the UK, while a live database is implemented to track the recycling process in real time.
The launch coincides with Trinity’s 22nd annual Green Week celebration, marking a step taken to reduce litter habits across Dublin city.
Nearly 73,000 cups have been collected in Dublin to date, with prospects of collecting 219,500 cups annually across participating sites. Plans are also underway for new sites to join the scheme across the city this year.
Chairperson of IPPCA, Fearghal Carroll, described the scheme as a “remarkable example” of students coming together to create “a positive impact on our environment”.
“We are delighted to support both Trinity’s students and visitors by offering an easy, simple and proven recycling solution.”
Sustainability Manager at Trinity College, Jane Hackett, noted the scheme’s accessibility for the 1.5 million annual visitors to the campus, saying: “It’s crucial that we are mindful and inclusive of all those who visit our campus each year.
“They need proper waste infrastructure to segregate their cups at source and ensure recycling; the student-led Cup Collective, in partnership with Estates and Facilities and Trinity Sustainability, is the solution.”
Elsewhere in Ireland, many universities have taken steps to reduce litter consumption, promoting a greener environment for staff and students.
University College Cork (UCC) went plastic-free on campus in 2023, eliminating the waste of one million paper cups.
The scheme is set to save 560,000 plastic bottles and 1.4m coffee cups over the course of a graduate’s four-year degree, UCC said.
President of UCC, Prof John O’Halloran, said: “It is incumbent on universities to lead and inspire the change we want to see in the world.
“The way we operate has changed significantly over the years and the passion of our students and staff has driven that change.”
Source: irishexaminer.com
