Pret A Manger Cup Recycling

Following a number of regional trials, Pret A Manger has now rolled out paper cup recycling across its UK estate. Customers can recycle coffee cups from any brand as well as Pret A Manger’s soup pots, porridge and breakfast pots in front of house units in over 400 Pret A Manger shops in the UK.  In smaller shops that cannot fit a unit, cups can be handed directly to a team member for recycling.

The Challenges

The key challenges to overcome have been obtaining a clean recycling stream from customers and transporting that stream efficiently to recycling mills.  The engagement of Pret A Manger's Team Members has been critical in helping change consumer behaviour in order to reduce contamination levels and increase recycling. Pret A Manger has tackled the second challenge through backhauling its own logistics network and building relationships with waste collectors throughout the UK.

The Result

Pret A Manger is proud that all cups collected in shops are being recycled in UK paper mills to create new products and hopes to continue to expand and improve upon this project to make it easier for customers to engage and recycle their paper cups with confidence.