Our commitment to the environment is no secret, we have championed many initiatives devoted to sustainability in the past, and now  Excel Vending is delighted to announce its support and financial backing at the outset of this very important new initiative with Keep Scotland Beautiful – the Glasgow Cup Movement 

The Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group (PCRRG) has announced that it is supporting the first Scottish initiative to stop single-use cups going to landfill or ending up as litter.

Launched this week in Glasgow, the Cup Movement, has been developed by environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful in response to growing public concern about the environmental impact of single-use items. It will be the largest, sustained single-use cup collection and behaviour change initiative of its kind in Scotland. 

With an estimated 95 million single-use cups being used in the Greater Glasgow area every year, the pioneering project will tackle this issue head on by transforming recycling infrastructure and encouraging people to adopt more sustainable behaviours. 

Research has shown that 48% of Glasgow’s drinks waste currently consists of single-use cups, so the Cup Movement will aim to stop single-use cups ending up as litter, by transforming recycling infrastructure, working with partners to install convenient recycling and cup collection points across the city and targeting the city’s thousands of regular cup users to switch to reusable containers.

The aim of the project is to engage with the public to:

• Educate, inspire and empower people to change their littering, recycling and reuse behaviours
• Gather robust evidence to inform policy and create a model of best practice that can be replicated in other major cities
• Contribute to Scottish Government circular economy ambitions

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive Officer of Keep Scotland Beautiful, commented:

“The Cup Movement in Glasgow is a truly collaborative initiative that has been 18 months in the planning. We look forward to working with PCRRG members Costa, Greggs, McDonalds UK, Pret A Manger and Starbucks UK and other funders including Excel Vending, Kidd’s and Graphic Packaging to deliver a transformational campaign right across the city.

By bringing together businesses, institutions and people, we will be working hard to reach each and every cup before it becomes litter or landfill. Whether it be through recycling or switching to a reusable cup, we want people to realise they have an opportunity to be part of a positive movement for change.”

Jane MacDonald, Managing Director of Excel Vending, commented:

“I am delighted to support the fantastic work done by the Keep Scotland Beautiful organisation.  Their vision for a clean, green sustainable Scotland is very much aligned with our own vision at Excel Vending.  We fully appreciate the issues with single use cups and  we have worked hard to address challenges of disposal and recycling.  We are therefore delighted to assist KSB highlight the problem in Glasgow, we are certain that partnering with them on this important initiative will result in a greater awareness among consumers in the city.”

Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham MSP, said:

“I am delighted to be supporting the Cup Movement in Glasgow. With up to 500 million single-use cups being used in Scotland every year, we all need to do our bit to make sure they don’t end up littering our streets and our seas. 

“Tackling our reliance on throwaway cups and encouraging people to make the right choices are important steps in helping build a sustainable future for Scotland. That’s why the we decided to remove single-use coffee cups from the Scottish Government’s main buildings last year. I’m sure the people of Glasgow will get behind the Cup Movement with equal passion.”

We are proud to be founding supporters and funders of the Glasgow Cup Movement and we look forward to working closely with them in the future.  We will also be highlighting how Excel Vending’s consumers can also play their part in reducing the use of single use cups when using any of our vending machines, the vast majority of which are capable of recognising a reusable cup in the dispenser rather than serving a paper cup.

We’ve always believed that actions speak louder than words, so active involvement in the Glasgow Cup Movement is not only an acceptance of our responsibility, it will make a tangible difference In the quest for a sustainable environment.