Why can’t coffee cups go in my recycling bin?

Standard coffee cups are made from liquid paperboard. That’s a mix of paper and a thin layer of plastic to make it waterproof.

At the moment, processing of liquid paperboard isn’t very effective so when coffee cups are put in the recycling bin, they contaminate the other items to be recycled.

What can I use instead of a disposable coffee cup?

Grab a reusable coffee cup and help avoid the 1 billion disposable coffee cups that Australians throw away every year. A lot of cafes now offer a small discount for bringing your own reusable cup.

Or, if you have the time, why not sit down to enjoy your coffee in the cafe.

Are disposable coffee cups recyclable?

Disposable or single-use coffee cups are made from liquid paperboard which is tricky to recycle. They are made up of a mix of paper and plastic which need to be recycled separately.

However if you get stuck without your reusable cup and can’t sit down for a coffee, 7-Eleven has several recycling points across Victoria where you can drop off your used coffee cups. Find a disposable coffee cup recycling point near you.

Want to recycle something else?

Search for another item to find out if it can go in your home recycling bin or if it needs to be dropped off somewhere else.