Cup^®Movement

Around 200 million single-use cups are used and discarded in Scotland each year.

Only 4% of these are recycled.

Something needs to change.

Our single-use cup problem

Around 200 million single-use cups are used in Scotland each year: an unimaginable number of cups that we are throwing away. And, if only 4% of these are currently recycled, what happens to the remaining 96%? Most go to landfill and far too many just end up littering our beautiful country.

We think something needs to change and have created Cup Movement^® to tackle this problem.

What is Cup Movement^®?

Cup Movement aims to transform our relationship with single-use cups, by working across the board, with those who buy, sell and use cups, to find solutions that work.

Cup Movement aims to:

Raise awareness, share information and help people to make more sustainable cup choices.

Work together with key stakeholders to trial different approaches for reducing cup waste.

Provide robust evidence to inform policy and practice.

Create successful and replicable place-based models.

Contribute to the Scottish Government's policies and ambitions.

Let’s reduce cup waste

In order to reduce cup waste, we are focusing on:

Ensuring that far fewer cups are littered
Increasing cup recycling rates, including the development of a cup waste collection and recycling service
Promoting reuse

Click on the sections below to learn more: