Cardiff trials world-first recycling project with McDonald's, Greggs and Pret A Manger

Wales Online

30-04-2025

Cardiff trials world-first recycling project with McDonald's, Greggs and Pret A Manger
People taking part can earn money and help recycle
Over 3 billion paper coffee cups are bought in the UK each year
(Image: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek/Getty Images )
Keep Wales Tidy and the National Cup Recycling Scheme have partnered alongside an international recycling app to introduce a world-first AI-based initiative to tackle paper cup waste.
The scheme was officially launched in Cardiff city centre and there will now be a three-month pilot initiative that will enable the people of Cardiff to recycle their used paper cups at participating Caffè Nero, Costa Coffee, Greggs, McDonald's, and Pret a Manger stores in return for a 5p reward per cup recycled.
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To take part in the scheme, you would need to download the Bower recycling app, take a picture of your paper cup, return the drink to a participating store and place it in the appropriate cup bin. By doing this you can then earn 5p on the app and also help recycle paper cups properly.
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The AI element of the scheme lies in the Bower App which now uses AI-powered image recognition to identify paper cups. Previously, the app relied on barcode scanning to recognise packaging, which isn't possible with paper cups as they don't have barcodes. With this new function, when a user takes a photo of a paper cup, the AI can detect not only that it's a PE-lined paper cup but also recognise the brand. This special feature is the first of its kind worldwide.
Currently, the app can identify cups from McDonald's, Greggs, Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger, and Caffè Nero. If a cup from another brand is scanned, the AI still recognises it as a PE-lined paper cup and provides relevant recycling information. Users are then given instructions on how to recycle the cup and shown the nearest drop-off points in Cardiff via the map feature. Once they've dropped their cups off, they're rewarded through the app.
Participating sites include:
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Caffe Nero, St David's Shopping Centre
Caffe Nero, Trinity St
Costa Coffee, The Hayes
Costa Coffee, St David's Shopping Centre
Costa Coffee, Queen St
Costa Coffee, Park Place
Costa Coffee, Cardiff Central Train Station
Greggs, Central Square
Greggs, The Hayes
Greggs, Caroline St
Greggs, St David's Shopping Centre
Greggs, St Marys St
Greggs, 34 Queen St
Greggs, 140 Queen St
Greggs, Park Place
Greggs, Cardiff University Park Place
McDonald's, St Marys St
McDonald's, Queen St
Pret a Manger, Central Square
Pret a Manger, St David's Shopping Centre
If the three month pilot is a success, the aim of the scheme is to introduce it not only across Wales but the whole of the UK.
Single-use cups remain a significant environmental issue, with the UK disposing of an estimated 2.5 billion paper cups annually – many ending up as litter or in landfill due to improper recycling. Paper cups cannot be recycled within regular recycling, however, specialist cup recycling is possible. Most paper cups are made from high-quality fibre, which can be recycled multiple times into new products.
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Marketing director of Keep Wales Tidy, Jo Golley, states: 'Paper cups can be recycled — but only if they go in the right bin. Because of the plastic lining, they shouldn't be put in with normal cardboard or they risk contaminating the whole load. That's why this campaign, now live on the Bower app, is such a game-changer. The high-quality paper used in most cups can be recycled more than once — but only if we do it right. We're working with these leading brands in the heart of Cardiff who are committed to making sure every cup collected through this scheme is properly recycled. We're urging the public to back them, use the right bins, and help keep Wales tidy.'
McDonalds, Greggs, Costa Coffee, Pret A Manager and Caffe Nero are working collaboratively as part of the National Cup Recycling Scheme. They have together, alongside, Lavazza Professional and Burger King, funded this project. The cups are either backhauled or collected by a waste collector partner. The cups are baled and then sent for recycling at James Cropper paper mill in the Lake District. See video which shows the process of a PE lined cup: Paper cup recycling process by the National Cup Recycling Scheme
The National Cup Recycling manager, Hannah Osborne states: 'Collaboration is key to tackling waste, and this pilot demonstrates how brands, technology, and communities can come together to create practical solutions that drive real environmental impact. We're excited about the potential to expand this initiative, making it even easier for people across the UK to recycle their cups while earning rewards through Bower.'
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