The new range is available at 20 locations, including M&S Cafés, vended coffee stations, and Marketplaces within its Foodhalls in cities like Stratford City, London, Leeds White Rose, and Cheshunt
An image of one of M&S Food’s site. (Credit: M&S)
M&S Food has unveiled a new fully recyclable paper fibre-based takeaway coffee cup and lid across its Cafes for its coffee and all hot drinks.
The new coffee cup and lids are said to be 100% paper, plastic-free and easily recyclable for customers.
M&S has now become the first major high street coffee retailer to launch such a sustainability initiative.
The move is expected to remove around 20 million units of plastic from M&S’ food business.
The brand-new, limited-edition cup is available at 20 locations, including M&S Cafés, vended coffee stations, and Marketplaces within its Foodhalls in cities like Stratford City, London, Leeds White Rose, and Cheshunt.
It will eventually be made accessible at all M&S Cafés. Every cup, from traditional lattes to silky-smooth cappuccinos, has an appealing design with 100% recyclable written on it.
M&S Food managing director Alex Freudmann said: “Our customers look to us to lead on the environment and we are constantly aiming to raise the bar and lower our impact on the planet.
“With one in every two of us visiting a coffee shop several times a week the long-lasting damage coffee cups can have on the planet without being properly recycled is huge.
“That’s why we were determined to bring a sustainable alternative to what’s out there today, and we’re proud to offer customers the first fully recyclable coffee cup on the high street.”
The retailer debuted its distinctive paper fibre closures earlier this year, and customers have responded favourably.
The new cups and lids are made from organic materials that can be recycled like other paper products.
It uses a liner substance that replicates the same barrier effect of plastic and has performed equally well in independent testing and assurance, but without long-lasting environmental impact if properly discarded.
The substance is certified as being plastic-free, ensuring that even if the cup winds up in a landfill, it will decompose and leave no dangerous polymers behind, the UK-based company said.
The move follows M&S’s introduction of reusable paper bags at checkouts in all M&S locations, providing customers with a recyclable and sustainable alternative.