The Square Mile Challenge initiative is being led by environmental charity Hubbub in partnership with recycling company Simply Cups. The City of London Corporation, Network Rail and national coffee retailers have also joined forced for the Square Mile Challenge.
Gavin Ellis, co-founder of Hubbub, said: “We are delighted that so many organisations, including the local authority, Network Rail and businesses that are usually in competition with each other, are collaborating to tackle this issue.
“We hope that other parts of the UK will follow suit and eventually reach a point where recycling levels for coffee cups are on a par with those for drinks cans and bottles.”
As part of the challenge, over 100 high street coffee retailers are offering recycling facilities in their stores, no matter where they were purchased. Square Mile Challenge bins are also in place across the city and cups will be collected at Liverpool Street and Cannon Street stations every weekday throughout the month.
The initiative will aim to collect and recycle half a million cups throughout April, and 5 million by the end of the year.
Shirley Rodrigues, deputy mayor for environment and energy, said: “Until now there has been no consistent, reliable way to recycle coffee cups in the heart of London and so the Square Mile Challenge is a big step forward. We’re committed to making London cleaner, reducing waste and boosting recycling.”
The plastic film on the insider of paper coffee cups means the cups can rarely be recycled with other mixed recycling.
Organisations based in the City, such as Deloitte, The Barbican Centre, and Prudential will be collecting coffee cups in their offices.