APCO and Simply Cups Launch new ARL logo for paper cups

Thursday 1 February 2024

Australians will now have access to recycling instructions on qualifying paper cups, thanks to a recent partnership between the APCO's Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) Program and Simply Cups, the largest paper cup recycling program in Australia (an initiative by Closed Loop).

Simply Cups, acknowledged as an 'Alternative Destination' under the ARL program, has introduced a distinctive 'Drop Off Only' logo on qualifying paper cups. This logo directs consumers to recycle their paper cup at one of more than 1,500 collection points across Australia.

The ARL is an on-pack label that provides consumers with easy-to-understand instructions about how to responsibly dispose of all parts of a product’s packaging.  The evidence-based label clearly identifies if an item of packaging belongs in the kerbside recycling, general waste bin or can be recycled by following a simple instruction.

Paper cups pose a significant recycling challenge in regular Australian kerbside collections due to their waterproof lining. Away-from-home programs like Simply Cups are now recognised as Alternative Destinations for paper cup disposal under the ARL.

These programs play a crucial role in managing packaging not accommodated by regular collection systems in Australia and/or New Zealand. Following collection, Simply Cups partners with reprocessesors who use innovative technologies to transform the used cups into new products like roads and lightweight concrete slabs, diverting them from landfill.

Chris Foley, APCO CEO, applauds the introduction of the 'Drop Off Only' logo, “The Simply Cups program for paper cups is a fantastic initiative and we are delighted to be able to provide the public with clearer guidance and greater opportunities to recycle these products after use and away from home.”

Want your business to get involved? Australian businesses selling proprietary paper cups can leverage the 'Drop Off Only' logo to promote cup recovery through the Simply Cups program, subject to APCO and ARL membership, and cup eligibility confirmed through a PREP assessment.

For more information about the Simply Cups program, visit https://www.simplycups.com.au