PLASTIC-LINED paper cups can now be recycled in the Cotswolds thanks to a new initiative by the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK), in partnership with Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire’s Joint Waste Team.

This new service enables plastic-lined cups the sort commonly supplied by coffee shops, fast food outlets and petrol stations to be recycled by depositing them in any of the food and drink carton recycling banks within the district.

They can now be recycled at Rissington Road Car Park in Bourton-on-the-Water and Maugersbury Road Car Park in Stow.

Councillor Sue Coakley, chair,am of Gloucestershire’s Joint Waste Committee and Cabinet Member for the Environment at CDC said: "The carton recycling banks already accept the type of packaging usually associated with fruit juices, milk drinks and premium soup brands, and it is great to see that they can now take plastic-lined paper cups.

"This change - the result of an agreement between ACE UK, high street retailers and cup manufacturers, provides a great opportunity for local residents and visitors to recycle even more waste.

“Obviously, we would prefer people to drink from re-usable cups where possible and it is good to see that most coffee shops are more than willing to fill a reusable cup brought from home.

"However, the next best thing is to ensure that as many single-use cups as possible are recycled, and this initiative should help immensely.

“People in Britain are currently responsible for binning 25,000 tonnes of beverage cups every year.

"All too regularly these items, along with other packaging from ‘on-the-go' food and drink products, end up littering our roadsides, which is unsightly, unhealthy and expensive to remove.

"I very much hope that this scheme will make a big difference.”

Residents are reminded that paper beverage cups with a plastic coating should not be placed in paper recycling banks or in the blue kerbside collection bag.