Your guide to compostable takeaway coffee cups

August 12, 2025

Have you ever wondered what happens to your takeaway coffee cup when you finish your morning coffee? Most Australians want sustainable options and an eco-friendly cup, but unfortunately understanding the labels on cups and the types of materials and their processing requirements, can be confusing. It's time to clear up the confusion around the humble coffee cup.

How concerned are Australians about waste?
How much waste comes from takeaway coffee cups?
What is the impact to the environment from single use plastic?
Are some single use cups better than others?
What is my takeaway coffee cup made from?
Why are cups being disposed of incorrectly?
What is the government doing to reduce single use plastics?
How do I understand the labels on my takeaway coffee cup?
How do I dispose of my takeaway coffee cup safely?
How do Pak360 coffee cups stack up?

How concerned are Australians about waste?

In a recent Australian YouGov survey with 1000 people, 61% were in favour of phasing out single use plastic for takeaway coffee cups and wanted their coffee cup to be fully compostable. Most of us want to do the right thing when it comes to our waste disposal habits, with research showing that most Australians do their best to recycle and sort their rubbish. Unfortunately this is where things get messy, because despite most people’s best intentions, research has also shown that Australians are confused about what can be recycled and composted.

How much waste comes from takeaway coffee cups?

To get some perspective, we should first understand how much of a problem takeaway coffee cups pose. Clean Up Australia has estimated that takeaway hot beverage cups contribute to 60,000 kilograms of plastic waste annually in Australia. According to Sustainability Victoria, Australians dispose of 1.8 billion single use coffee cups per year, with about 90% ending up in landfill.

What is the impact to the environment of single use plastic?

Many single use takeaway coffee cups are made from paperboard, which on its own is biodegradable. The problem is the plastic lining which stops the liquid from leaking. When cups with plastic linings end up in landfill or become litter, they break down slowly, releasing microplastics. When microplastics end up in the environment, they get into the water, air and soil, impacting marine life, drinking water, and ultimately the food chain, and our health.

Are some single use cups better than others?

While most takeaway coffee cups look pretty much the same, not all single use cups are made from the same materials. It’s this that contributes to much of the confusion about safe disposal, and whether a cup is suitable for recycling, composting or landfill. The best take away coffee cup is one that breaks down completely, without harming the environment, and is made from renewable materials.

What is my takeaway coffee cup made from?

The main structural part of a takeaway hot beverage cup is made from paperboard, which on the surface looks like it would be easily recycled or broken down. It’s the plastic lining that we can’t see, that’s the problem. The lining can be made from either a traditional petrochemical based plastic (PE) or a bioplastic (PLA or PHA). These plastics all behave and break down differently in the environment.

Polyethylene

PE is the most common plastic used to line takeaway coffee cups. Cups made from PE are recyclable, but the lining has to be separated from the external part of the cup first. Because there are few machines that can do this, and cups with PE linings tend to clog traditional recycling machinery, most end up in landfill. Once in landfill, cups with a polyethylene lining take about 20 to 30 years to break down.

Bioplastic

Some takeaway cups are made using bioplastics, including PLA (polyactic acid) and PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate). Bioplastics are made from plant based, renewable resources like bamboo, corn and sugarcane.

They are a good alternative to conventional plastics because they can be manufactured with less energy, take less time to break down, and under the right conditions, many biploastics are 100% compostable. PLA and PHA bioplastics are processed differently to break them down at the end of their life.

PLA (Polyactic Acid) – Cups made with PLA are 100% compostable in a commercial composting system that uses high temperatures.
PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate) – PHA is made from bacterial fermentation and is biodegradable in marine environments and soil. It is suitable for home composting under the right conditions. This next generation bioplastic is one of the most promising materials that can be used to line takeaway coffee cups.

Why are cups being disposed of incorrectly?

Because cups are made from different materials that require different types of processing, knowing how to dispose of your cup after finishing your morning coffee can be confusing.

The meaning of terms like ‘recyclable’, ‘compostable’ and ‘biodegradable’ are also unclear. For example, because PLA lined cups can only be composted commercially, they are not suitable for most home composts, but they do not say this on the cup. Many cups made from bioplastics are compostable and could go in council FOGO bins, but because commercial composting systems differ from council to council, this may not be possible in many areas.

This inconsistency results in confusion and thousands of cups being disposed of incorrectly every day, often contaminating composting and recycling systems and contributing to the current situation, where 90% of cups end up in landfill.

What is the government doing about single use plastics?

While state governments have gradually phased out some single use plastic, including some plastic bags and plastic straws, Western Australia is the only state so far to phase out single use non compostable coffee cups. This means cups made from polyethylene are now banned in Western Australia.

One reason why all single use cups have not been banned is that banning a product, without a viable alternative, doesn’t fix the problem. Takeaway coffee and hot beverages are popular for consumers around the world and Australia is no different.

In Australia 23% of coffees made in cafes each day are takeaway coffees. While a limited number of people invest in their own cup, most consumers want a more practical solution, with a cup they can take away and dispose of safely.

How do I understand the labels on my coffee cup?

Takeaway coffee cups usually have printed information on them about the materials they are made from, as well as advice on disposal. If the cup says the lining is made from plants, it is most likely a bioplastic and may be compostable.

There are also two important certification numbers to look out for – AS 4736 and AS 5810. If a cup has the certification AS4736 it means it has been certified and is able to be composted in a commercial composting system. AS5810 indicates it can be composted in a home compost system. If AS5810 is not present, the item cannot go in a home compost. It is also important to remember that a cup made from a bioplastic is only compostable if it carries the appropriate certification.

How do I dispose of my takeaway coffee cup safely?

If you are concerned about how to dispose of your coffee cup, the first thing to do is to look at the label on the underside to check.

If your cup has no certification label, pay attention to any instructions about how to dispose of it. Be aware of vague terms like ‘biodegradeable’ or ‘compostable’, as these are not clear. If the instructions are unclear, your cup should probably go in the regular bin, as it is most likely unsuitable for recycling or a regular compost system, and risks contaminating and jamming commercial waste processing systems.

Some cafes that use compostable coffee cups provide a special bin for disposing of cups. When you dispose of your cup in the specially marked bin, it is picked up and composted in a commercial composting facility that is heated to a temperature. If unsure, ask the cafe or shop about how best to dispose of your cup.

How do Pak360 coffee cups stack up?

Pak360 coffee cups are all fully compostable and are lined with either PLA or PHA bioplastic. All our coffee cups are certified to AS4736 standards, which means they are commercially compostable. We are also just about to launch a new line of PHA lined cups, which offer more flexibility and can be composted in home compost systems.

Alongside our service supplying coffee cups and containers to cafes and restaurants, we offer a composting collection service. This service ensures that all containers that can be commercially composted complete their 360 degree cycle in a commercial compost system, rather than ending up in landfill. That means if you get your coffee in a Pak360 coffee cup it is fully compostable, does not need to go to landfill, and can end its lifecycle by being returned to the earth.