Stora Enso and Huhtamaki Launch Industrial Scale Recycling Programme for Paper Cups in Europe

Huhtamaki and Stora Enso have joined forces to launch a new paper cup recycling initiative, The Cup Collective. The programme, which is the first of its kind in Europe, aims to recycle and capture the value of used paper cups on an industrial scale. Initially the programme will be implemented across the Benelux. With the aim of setting new standards for paper cup collection and recycling in Europe, The Cup Collective has issued an open invitation for partners from across the supply chain to get involved in working towards a systemic European solution.

The EU has set recycling target for paper and board packaging of 85% by 2030. Paper cups are recyclable but need to be collected before they can be turned into new paper products. The Cup Collective initiative will create the necessary collection infrastructure to significantly increase the recycling rate of wood-fiber in paper cups. Above all, the programme will make it as easier for consumers and businesses to collect used paper cups to be regenerated into valuable recycled raw material.

The first paper cup collection bins will be available in restaurants, cafés, office buildings and transport hubs in the Brussels and Amsterdam metropolitan areas. The Cup Collective aims to recycle half a billion paper cups in the first two years and, as it is designed to be scalable, has the capacity to significantly increase recycling volumes in Europe. The programme is managed by Co-cre8 – co-cre8.earth, a UK-based firm with over a decade’s experience in designing and implementing recycling programmes across Europe.

“Huhtamaki is a world leader in developing and manufacturing recyclable fiber 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 Huhtamaki and Stora Enso to create this new vision for industrial scale cup collection and recycling,” says Eric Le Lay, President, Fiber Foodservice EAO at Huhtamaki.

“Stora Enso wants to accelerate the circularity of all packaging materials and we have an excellent foundation to make that happen. The paperboards we make are designed to be recycled and our own production sites, including Langerbrugge in Belgium, can process and recycle paper cups into new fiber-based products. By partnering with Huhtamaki and Co-cre8 we will now be able to provide a platform to collect and capture the value of paper cup fibers on an industrial scale,” says Hannu Kasurinen, EVP, Stora Enso Packaging Materials division.

Call For Action

The Cup Collective will work with partners throughout the supply chain, from the largest restaurants and café chains, retailers and transport hubs to independent coffee shops, collection partners, waste management operators and policymakers across Europe to address the challenges to recycling and deliver a viable scalable solution for Europe. Initially, The Cup Collective is being financed by the two companies but a key factor in the success of The Cup Collective will be its ability to become self-funding in the future.

Those with an interest in taking part in this exciting new programme should contact Co-cre8 via the Cup Collective – https://thecupcollective.eu. Join us in the bid to develop the right solutions for recycling, leaving no cup behind.

About Huhtamaki

Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, ensuring hygiene and safety, driving accessibility and affordability, and helping prevent food waste. We embed sustainability in everything we do. We are committed to achieving carbon neutral production and designing all our products to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030.

We are a participant in the UN Global Compact and EcoVadis has awarded Huhtamaki with the Gold medal for performance in sustainability. To play our part in managing climate change, we have set science-based targets that have been approved and validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative.

With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 37 countries and 113 operating locations around the world. Our values Care Dare Deliver guide our decisions and help our team of over 19,000 employees make a difference where it matters. Our 2021 net sales totaled EUR 3.6 billion. Huhtamaki Group is headquartered in Espoo, Finland and our parent company, Huhtamäki Oyj, is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Find out more about how we are protecting food, people and the planet at www.huhtamaki.com.

About Stora Enso

Part of the global bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable products in packaging, biomaterials, wooden construction and paper, and one of the largest private forest owners in the world. We believe that everything that is made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has approximately 22,000 employees and our sales in 2021 were EUR 10.2 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Oy (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm AB (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY). storaenso.com

Contact:

Arto Gröndahl – Media Relations Manager, Huhtamaki – media@huhtamaki.com – +358 10 686 7107

Mandi Alaterä SVP – Communications & Marketing, Division Packaging Materials, Stora Enso – mandi.alatera@storaenso.com –  +358 50 577 4040