Simply Cups
Simply Cups is Australia's largest dedicated paper cup recycling program, operated by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions. It collects cups from 1,500+ venues, schools, and 7-Eleven stores and upcycles them into products such as rCUP, PAKPAVE road, garden beds, and kerbing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSouth Melbourne, Australia
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Simply Cups does
Simply Cups is Australia's largest dedicated paper cup recycling program, operated by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions Pty Ltd since its May 2017 launch. The company addresses a specific waste-stream gap: paper coffee cups lined with polyethylene (PE) or plant-based PLA cannot be processed through kerbside recycling, resulting in roughly 1 billion disposable cups entering Australian landfill annually. Simply Cups deploys dedicated collection units (tube sleeves and 240L bins) across 1,500+ workplaces, venues, schools, and 7-Eleven stores, with logistics handled by national partner Shred-X. Since inception the program has diverted more than 21.6 million cups from landfill, with 6 million collected in 2021 alone during COVID lockdowns.
The core technology separates the waterproof plastic lining from paper fibers so both material streams can be recovered, and the program has built a downstream upcycling ecosystem with multiple manufacturing partners: Plastic Forests (GreenMongrel garden beds, Mini Wheel Stops), Newtecpoly (kerbing, outdoor seating), State Asphalt Services (PAKPAVE road surfaces with up to 50% recycled content via CLESmix), Martogg (resin for injection moulding), saveBOARD (low-carbon building panels), and Gully Concrete Products (lightweight concrete slabs). Finished goods include the rCUP reusable cup, Stay Tray, Plus Post fence posts, car park bumpers, and kerbing, with Stay Tray winning the 2020 Worldstar Packaging Award.
Commercially, Simply Cups does not charge organizations for collection; instead it monetizes through recurring corporate sponsorships from cup-owner brands (7-Eleven as Pioneering Partner, Muffin Break, The Coffee Club), upcycled product sales, and federal/NSW government grants including the Product Stewardship Investment Fund and the Recycling Modernisation Fund. Distribution combines direct B2B field sales, the 7-Eleven Cup Rescue retail channel, event-based collection (Floriade, Ironman, Sydney NYE), and a developing Drop Off Only ARL product stewardship framework that opens a brand-paid regulatory channel. The business is positioned as a circular-economy infrastructure asset rather than a traditional waste services contractor, with verified environmental impact as its principal value proposition to brand sponsors and government partners.
Simply Cups firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Simply Cups
- Legal name
- Closed Loop Environmental Solutions Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://simplycups.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Simply Cups is Australia's largest dedicated paper cup recycling program, operated by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions. It collects cups from 1,500+ venues, schools, and 7-Eleven stores and upcycles them into products such as rCUP, PAKPAVE road, garden beds, and kerbing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Simply Cups industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Paper Cup Recycling and Waste Diversion Services
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (562920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE)
Keywords
Where Simply Cups is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- South Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Simply Cups business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Corporate Sponsorships and Brand Partnerships: Major brand partners (7-Eleven, Muffin Break, The Coffee Club) pay to sponsor and support the Simply Cups program. Partners contribute funds based on hot beverages sold or flat fees to help grow the program.
- Collection Services for Organizations: Organizations pay for cup collection services including installation of collection units, scheduled pickups, and monthly reporting on cups collected.
- Upcycled Product Sales: Closed Loop sells products made from recycled cups including car park bumpers, garden beds, outdoor benches, and kerbing. The program markets these products to Closed Loop customers and partners.
- Product Stewardship Investment Fund: Federal Government grant funding awarded through the Product Stewardship Investment Fund to establish additional collection points and expand into new regions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Free collection service for businesses and organizations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Simply Cups product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Simply Cups operates Australia's largest paper cup recovery program, deploying free dedicated collection units (tube sleeves and bins) at 1,500+ workplaces, venues, schools, and 7-Eleven stores to capture used takeaway cups. Collected cups are shredded, baled, and processed to separate plastic linings from paper fibres, then routed through manufacturing partners to be upcycled into products such as the rCUP, Stay Tray, car park bumpers, garden beds, fence posts, and PAKPAVE road surfacing.
Product overview
Simply Cups is Australia's largest paper cup recycling program operated by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions. The core offering is a cup collection and recovery service that installs collection units (tube sleeves and bins) at workplaces, venues, shopping centres, cafes, and schools to divert paper cups from landfill. Collected cups are processed through manufacturing partners to create upcycled products including the rCUP (reusable cup made from recycled cups), Stay Tray, car park solutions (bumpers, wheel stops, kerbing), garden products (beds, fence posts), and PAKPAVE recycled road surfacing. The program includes the 7-Eleven Cup Rescue Schools Program for free school collections and partnerships with major cafe groups including The Coffee Club.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Simply Cups Collection Program Australia's largest paper cup recovery program that installs free dedicated collection units (tube sleeves and bins) at workplaces, venues, schools, and 7-Eleven stores, then arranges scheduled pickups and monthly reporting on cups diverted from landfill.
- Cup Collection Units Dedicated collection hardware including tube sleeves and 240L wheelie bins for capturing paper cups at office buildings, shopping centres, cafes, and public spaces. Standard tube sleeves are provided free for Simply Cups customers with an AUD 35 express delivery fee for urgent orders.
- 7-Eleven Cup Rescue Schools Program Free school recycling program where 7-Eleven donates collection units to primary and secondary schools, with cups collected and returned to local 7-Eleven stores; 122 schools were participating by 2021.
- The Coffee Club Partnership Program Partnership offering in which Simply Cups collection units are installed in The Coffee Club cafes across Australia (14+ cafes participating) with the Simply Cups logo on takeaway cups and funds contributed per hot beverage sold to support recycling.
- rCUP Reusable Cup The world's first reusable coffee cup made from recycled coffee cups; sold to consumers at 7-Eleven and Muffin Break stores and online via Flora and Fauna, Officeworks, and Winc.
- Stay Tray Australia's first and only reusable drink tray made from 100% recycled material including Simply Cups; sold to hospitality and events customers and awarded the 2020 Worldstar Packaging Award.
- Car Park Bumpers Upcycled car park bumper products manufactured from recycled coffee cups and plastics by Closed Loop partners and sold into commercial property and shopping centre applications.
- Cube Outdoor Seating Outdoor bench and cube seating products made from upcycled coffee cups, sold for commercial and public space use.
- Roadside Kerbing Roadside kerbing products manufactured from recycled coffee cups by Newtecpoly, sold to infrastructure and commercial property customers.
- GreenMongrel Garden Beds GreenMongrel garden beds made from over 90% recycled plastic and up to 10% recycled cups from Simply Cups, manufactured by Plastic Forests and sold as weatherproof, maintenance-free landscaping products.
- PAKPAVE Recycled Road Surfacing World's first road surface containing up to 50% recycled packaging material including coffee cups, produced via CLESmix by State Asphalt Services and sold into road construction applications.
- saveBOARD Low Carbon Building Materials Low carbon building materials made from upcycled packaging including coffee cups, with new production facility funded through the federal Recycling Modernisation Fund in western Sydney.
- Plus Post Fence Posts Line post fence solution made from Australian steel, recycled farm plastics, recycled household plastics from Redcycle, and recycled cups from Simply Cups, sold into fencing and rural applications.
- Mini Wheel Stops Car park wheel stop products made with recycled cups and plastics, manufactured by Plastic Forests and sold to commercial property customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 21,627,198 cups diverted from landfill as of November 2021 (cumulative since May 2017)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Simply Cups
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Simply Cups technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Simply Cups partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- 7-Elevenflagship7-Eleven is the Pioneering Partner of Simply Cups. Since 2017, 7-Eleven has helped save millions of cups from landfill through their Cup Rescue program with 683 stores Australia-wide. 7-Eleven heavily promoted Simply Cups via radio and social media advertising, even branding a Simply Cups Tram. They rescue over 2 million cups annually.
- Muffin BreakcoreMuffin Break is the Shopping Centre Partner, contributing funds for every hot beverage sold to help grow Simply Cups. They actively promote the program and have helped bring 30+ shopping centres into the program. Muffin Break won multiple sustainability awards for their Simply Cups partnership.
- The Coffee ClubcoreThe Coffee Club (approximately 400 stores in 9 countries) is a Program Partner helping to fund and support coffee cup recycling. Collection units are installed in 14+ cafes with the Simply Cups logo on takeaway cups.
- Shred-XcoreShred-X has been Simply Cups National Logistics Partner since February 2019, collecting cups at over 1,000 sites across Australia. They collect, shred and bale cups until ready for further processing or upcycling.
- Closed Loop Environmental SolutionsflagshipClosed Loop Environmental Solutions operates Simply Cups and is the parent organization. They pioneer Australia's circular economy and have invested in cup recycling technologies and upcycling partnerships.
- State Asphalt ServicescoreState Asphalt produces PAKPAVE, the world's first road surface made with recycled packaging including coffee cups. Lab testing for coffee cup inclusion is 100% complete with field trials underway.
- Plastic ForestscoreAward-winning Australian manufacturer that makes products with Simply Cups including Mini Wheel Stops, Dunnage, Air Con Mounting Blocks, and GreenMongrel garden beds made from recycled plastics and up to 10% recycled cups.
- NewtecpolycoreFirst plastic recycler in Australia to make products from takeaway cups. Produces wheel stops for car parks, roadside kerbing, outdoor seating, and bike lane separators.
- saveBOARDcoresaveBOARD facility turns used packaging including soft plastics, coffee cups, juice/long life milk boxes into low carbon building materials. saveBOARD facility funded through Federal Government's Recycling Modernisation Fund, to be built in western Sydney.
- Stay TraycoreAustralia's first and only reusable drink tray made from 100% recycled material. Made with Simply Cups, winning 2020 Worldstar Packaging Award.
- rCUPcoreWorld's first reusable cup made from recycled cups. Available at 7-Eleven and Muffin Break, and online via Flora and Fauna, Officeworks and Winc.
- LendLease Shopping CentrescoreErina Fair (owned by LendLease) was Simply Cups leading cup collector in 2020. LendLease committed all their Shopping Centres in Australia to join Simply Cups.
- Scentre Group (Westfield)coreFirst Shopping Centre to recycle cups. Scentre Group has Simply Cups in 8 shopping centres in NSW & Canberra, collecting over 200k cups in 2019.
- Vicinity CentrescoreVicinity Broadmeadows installed 270x Upcycled Car Bumps made from coffee cups and plastics saved from the Yarra River. First Shopping Centre in QLD (Myer Centre).
- Closed Loop Site ServicescoreCollects coffee cups at major events including Floriade (ACT Government Events), Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Sydney NYE Festival, and Ironman events.
- Australian Packaging Covenant (APC)minorSupported the initial coffee cup trial in 2016, contributing to the long-term vision of effectively diverting coffee cups from landfill.
- QantasminorQantas Points program: 1,000 Qantas Points for joining, 1 Qantas Point for every 2 cups collected through the Simply Cups program.
- ANZminorCollected the most cups at a single site (833 Collins Street, Melbourne) and expanded to 5 additional buildings after initial success.
- Consolidated Property Services (CPS)minorCPS collected more than 1 million cups across 11 sites, becoming the 2nd leading cup rescuer behind 7-Eleven.
- WIRES Wildlife RescueminorDonations of $0.01 per cup recycled during January-February 2020 bushfire appeal went to WIRES Wildlife Rescue (NSW) and Wildlife Victoria.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Simply Cups competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KeepCup: Iconic Australian reusable coffee cup brand addressing takeaway cup waste via reusables. Targets the same consumer and corporate audiences seeking to reduce single-use cup consumption, representing a substitute solution to Simply Cups' recycling model.
- Huskee: Australian-origin reusable coffee cup company with HuskeeSwap exchange program targeting cafes and venues. Directly competes in the takeaway cup sustainability space with a reuse-first approach, including a closed-loop recycling component for end-of-life cups.
- Returnr: Australian reusable cup borrowing/return scheme targeting the same takeaway coffee cup waste problem with a reuse model rather than recycling. Competes for the same corporate and venue customers seeking sustainability solutions for single-use cups.
- BioPak: Leading Australian supplier of compostable foodservice packaging, including PLA-lined cups. Offers an alternative pathway (compostable) to address the same single-use cup waste problem Simply Cups targets through recycling and upcycling.
- Vegware: Global manufacturer of compostable plant-based foodservice packaging with Australian distribution. Competes for the same foodservice and institutional customers by offering compostable cup alternatives to the lined paper cups Simply Cups recycles.
Broad incumbents
- Huhtamaki: Global foodservice packaging manufacturer with Australian operations and sustainability programs including paper cup recovery initiatives. Comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities in cup manufacturing and recycling partnerships.
- Veolia Australia and New Zealand: Major environmental services and waste management operator across Australia and New Zealand where Simply Cups also operates. Comparable as a broad incumbent with materials recovery capabilities that could expand into specialty paper cup recycling at scale.
- Closed Loop Environmental Solutions: Parent organization of Simply Cups and broader Australian circular-economy operator spanning plastics recycling, soft plastics, and packaging recovery. Comparable as the platform under which Simply Cups operates and competes in adjacent waste streams.
Emerging players
- saveBOARD: New Zealand-based manufacturer of low-carbon building boards made from used packaging including coffee cups sourced via Simply Cups. Adjacent emerging player transforming the same input stream into a different end product category, representing a downstream ecosystem participant.
- Plastic Forests: Award-winning Australian manufacturer of products from recycled plastics including Simply Cups-sourced materials (wheel stops, garden beds, mounting blocks). Comparable as an emerging upcycler turning recovered cup material into commercial products, though as a supply partner rather than a competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Simply Cups social profiles
Digital presenceSimply Cups financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Simply Cups leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Simply Cups funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Simply Cups M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Simply Cups
What does Simply Cups do?
Simply Cups operates Australia's largest paper cup recovery program, deploying free dedicated collection units (tube sleeves and bins) at 1,500+ workplaces, venues, schools, and 7-Eleven stores to capture used takeaway cups. Collected cups are shredded, baled, and processed to separate plastic linings from paper fibres, then routed through manufacturing partners to be upcycled into products such as the rCUP, Stay Tray, car park bumpers, garden beds, fence posts, and PAKPAVE road surfacing.
Is Simply Cups a public or private company?
Simply Cups is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Simply Cups founded?
Simply Cups was founded in 2017.
Where is Simply Cups based?
Simply Cups is headquartered in South Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Simply Cups make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Corporate Sponsorships and Brand Partnerships are the primary driver. The others are collection Services for Organizations, upcycled Product Sales and product Stewardship Investment Fund.
Who are Simply Cups's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KeepCup, Huskee, Returnr, BioPak and Vegware. Broad incumbents are Huhtamaki, Veolia Australia and New Zealand and Closed Loop Environmental Solutions. Emerging players are saveBOARD and Plastic Forests.
Does Simply Cups have an API?
No public API is recorded for Simply Cups.
What industry is Simply Cups in?
Simply Cups's product category is Paper Cup Recycling and Waste Diversion Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIANAE, Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops). Its NAICS code is 562920.