Special compost bins will be available at all Merlo Coffee stores to collect all used takeaway coffee cups and lids.
These will be combined with each Merlo store’s coffee grounds, food waste and compostable packaging.
A recycling and waste management firm will transport the waste to the facility where recycling and revegetation innovator NuGrow will transform it into organic compost over eight weeks. For SEQ, this facility is located at Swanbank near Ipswich and in Melbourne, this facility is located in Geelong.
Unfortunately not. The cups require commercial compost conditions which optimises the temperature and process to ensure the cups will biodegrade within 8 to 12 weeks. Home composting does not reach the temperatures required (55 degrees Celsius) for the bioplastic to decompose.
Got more questions about BioCups and lids? Read their FAQ here.
Along with the switch to fully compostable BioCups, we have also changed to a single wall cup design. By switching to single wall, we save 112 tonnes of paper and the 335 tonnes of trees that are required to make it.
Long black and tea drinkers, never fear! We’ve got a handy compostable sleeve that can be added to your cup to save your fingers from the heat.
The new Merlo BioCups are made from renewable plant-based resources. BioPak use Ingeo™ PLA bioplastic that results in 75% less greenhouse gases than the conventional plastic it replaces.
Unlike conventional plastics – which are made from finite fossil resources (oil and gas) – bioplastics are made from a number of renewable resources such as plant oils, cellulose, starches, sugars, carbohydrates, bacteria and algae.
The bioplastic we use in BioPak packaging is certified compostable. This means it will completely biodegrade in a compost environment within a defined timeframe and leave behind no toxic residues.
At this stage, if you’ve got a Merlo takeaway cup and lid, just drop it in the bin – it’s as simple as that.
We’ll take care of the rest!
Within Merlo stores, our team will be composting all food waste and coffee and tea waste, along with our compostable packaging.
While we appreciate your enthusiasm for our new initiative, please only drop your Merlo Coffee takeaway cups and lids into the organic compost bins.
Do not drop plastic & cardboard packaging, such as glossy boxes that hold biscuits and slices, plastic wrap, carbon paper (tax invoice or eftpos rolls) and sugar sachet wrappers.
We also cannot accept plastic, glass & metal cans, bottles & containers, including milk bottles and newspapers (due to the ink).
Polystyrene or biodegradable cups, including Styrofoam, from other coffee brands should also not be placed in our compost bins.
Bring a reusable cup when you buy your coffee – all Merlo Coffee stores offer $0.50 off for a refill.
Bring back your coffee packaging – all Merlo Coffee stores offer $1 off every tin or bag refill (bags must be in clean condition and undamaged).
We’re happy to give you some of our used coffee grounds for use in your garden; just bring in a container!
Research shows three-quarters of Australians drink at least one cup of coffee daily but an estimated one billion disposable cups end up in landfill each year, where they take up to 50 years to breakdown.
Along with a mountain of coffee cups, Australians dump more than eight-million tonnes of food and organic waste that could be composted. Decomposing food releases methane, which is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, causing enormous damage to our environment.
We know that Merlo customers are environmentally-savvy and want to keep their caffeine habit but not harm the earth, so we’re taking steps to be part of positive change.