Take It Back Success in Dundee and Glasgow
Recycling single-use cups on the go can be confusing. Which bin should you use? What type of cup do you have? With 59% of people citing confusion or lack of understanding as a barrier to recycling their cups, the Take It Back initiative set out to tackle this challenge in two Scottish cities.
In July 2024, the National Cup Recycling Scheme teamed up with Starbucks to launch Take It Back, encouraging customers to return their used takeaway cups to one of 121 participating stores across Glasgow and Dundee. This ensured cups were properly recycled rather than ending up in landfill.
Over nine months, major retailers—including Caffè Nero, Costa, Greggs, McDonald's, Pret a Manger, and Starbucks—joined forces with Glasgow and Dundee City Councils to make cup recycling simple and accessible for customers.
Through in-store window stickers, bin signage directing people to participating locations, digital and online promotions, as well as advertising at Glasgow Queen Street Station and on the Subway, awareness of the campaign grew significantly—reaching 26% of people in the area.
The impact of the initiative was clear. Pre- and post-campaign bin audits recorded a 12% reduction in single-use cups from participating retailers and a 6% decrease in the proportion of cups found in general waste bins. Additionally, 27% of surveyed individuals reported returning a single-use cup for recycling—10% of whom took their cup to a different store than where they originally purchased their drink.
Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager, highlighted the importance of such initiatives: “We want people to enjoy hot drinks on the go while making sustainable choices. Take It Back empowers customers to return their single-use takeaway cups to stores for recycling, helping to cut down on waste across Scotland.
“With mandatory take-back for single-use cups now being addressed separately following upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility regulations, it is more important than ever to make recycling accessible and encourage reusable options. Collaborative projects like Take It Back and the Cup Box scheme, which we are running through the Highland Community Waste Partnership, are vital in promoting existing cup recycling infrastructure to customers.”
Hannah Osman, National Cup Recycling Manager at Valpak, praised the success of the initiative: “The #TakeItBack project has been a major achievement, making recycling more visible and convenient for both staff and customers. The National Cup Recycling Scheme is proud to have been involved, and the key learnings from this project will be invaluable as we look to expand #TakeItBack nationwide. Our goal is to ensure all stores can easily adopt this important step in sustainable practices.”
The good news? Single-use cups can still be taken back to participating stores in both Glasgow and Dundee.
For more details and insights from the project, explore Keep Scotland Beautiful's #TakeItBack case study and web page.
