M&S Food has said it is the first major High Street retailer to sell coffee in easily recyclable and plastic-free cups made entirely from paper.

Regular paper coffee cups cannot be easily recycled due to a thin layer of plastic coating which stops liquids from seeping into the paper.

The retailer explained that this means they cannot go into household recycling and require specific processes which are only available at a small number of recyclers in the UK.

M&S estimates that the new cups will lead to the removal of 20 million units of plastic from its food business.

The cup is currently available from around 20 sites including M&S cafes in London and Leeds. The retailer said it will be rolling out the cups to every M&S Café in the coming months.

Managing director at M&S Food Alex Freudmann said that the retail chain is constantly trying to lower its impact on the planet.

“With one in every two of us visiting a coffee shop several times a week the long-lasting damage coffee cups can have on the planet without being properly recycled is huge,” Freudmann said. “That’s why we were determined to bring a sustainable alternative to what’s out there today, and we’re proud to offer customers the first fully recyclable coffee cup on the High Street.”

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