Tim Hortons Is Testing New Cups For Hot Drinks In Canada That Are Recyclable & Compostable
And they're trialling artificial intelligence waste bins, too!
The Tim Hortons cups you're used to aren't actually changing colour, but they could be getting a whole lot more green soon.
The Canadian coffee chain is launching a trial of its newly designed hot beverage cup which is made with up to 20% post-consumer recycled content and is both compostable and recyclable.
With this new design, more of the cup's paper fibre can be recovered in the repulping process and that could lead to more recycling programs across the country accepting Tims cups. Right now, hot beverage cups from Tims can only be recycled in B.C. and some municipalities in other provinces.
The recyclable and compostable cups will be tested at select Tims locations in Vancouver starting in January 2022.
To try and increase recycling at locations in Canada, the coffee chain is also testing out AI-assisted waste bins that will scan items and tell people whether they should be recycled, composted or put in the garbage. The tech will be at locations in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia by the end of the year.
Before this, Tims has launched changes to other items including making paper food wrappers that are recyclable, swapping plastic straws for paper ones and using recyclable sleeves instead of double cups.
Starbucks has also switched to paper straws and introduced strawless lids for iced drinks.