LONDON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Coffee cup recycling bins are to be installed across London in a major initiative to stop millions being thrown away every day, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Wednesday.
The trial of the first city-wide coffee cup collection scheme was unveiled by the mayor as part of 6 million British pounds (8.4 million U.S. dollars) package of green initiatives.
"The fund will deliver the roll-out of more new public water fountains -- on top of the initial 20 the mayor announced recently," a press release on the mayor's website said. "It will also create better local green spaces including in areas with little access to parks and community spaces."
Londoners use around two million coffee cups every day, with only one in 100 being recycled and the vast majority ending up in landfill. They cannot be recycled with regular household paper waste because of the thin layer of water-proof plastic on the inside.
"Khan wants Londoners to help protect the environment by introducing changes that will have a big impact on reducing the amount of single-use plastic bottles and cups bought daily across the capital," said the press release.
However, there are four specialist plants across Britain that can separate the paper from the plastic. They currently receive the cups only if they are brought to dedicated drops-off points.
The mayor said he has committed to working with manufacturers and supply chains to trial coffee cup collection schemes where businesses and retailers provide easily accessible recycling facilities for the separate collection of coffee cups.
"I'm committed to helping Londoners reduce plastic bottle use and help cut the amount of plastic ending up in our oceans and in landfill," Khan said.
