Recycle Shmoo

Sustainability has moved from a nice-to-have to an active consideration for many café and hospitality customers — particularly younger demographics who notice and care about the packaging their food and drink comes in. For venues serving Shmoo milkshakes, the good news is that the Shmoo disposables system is built with this in mind: the cups, lids, and straws are all designed to be recycled or composted rather than going straight to landfill.

What Shmoo Cups Are Made From

Shmoo cups and lids are manufactured from PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate), one of the most widely recycled plastics in the UK. What makes them more sustainable than standard PET is their composition: 50% of the material is RPET — Recycled PET that has already been recovered and reprocessed from previous use. Each cup therefore contains material that would otherwise have remained as plastic waste.

PET is accepted by all UK local authorities as part of standard kerbside plastic recycling. This is significant — it means customers can drop used Shmoo cups and lids directly into their household recycling bin without needing to find a specialist drop-off point. Recycling instructions are printed on the back of every Shmoo cup to make this clear at the point of disposal.

Paper Straws

Plastic straws have been banned in England since 2020. Shmoo disposables packs include paper straws as standard — fully compliant with the existing legislation and recyclable alongside cardboard and paper waste. Paper straws are the right practical choice for thick milkshake-style drinks served in a takeaway format.

How This Compares to Other Milkshake Disposables

Polystyrene (EPS) cups — which were widely used for milkshakes and thick shakes historically — are now banned from consumer supply in England following the October 2023 single-use plastics legislation. Shmoo cups are PET, not polystyrene, so they are fully compliant with current rules and were not affected by the ban.

Standard PET cups without recycled content are also common in the market. The 50% RPET composition of Shmoo cups places them ahead of these on sustainability — the recycled material content reduces the demand for virgin plastic and lowers the carbon footprint of manufacturing each cup.

What to Tell Your Customers

Most customers will not read the recycling information on the back of the cup unless they are prompted to. A small sign at the counter — or a brief verbal note when handing over the drink — can meaningfully improve the proportion of cups that end up recycled rather than in general waste. Something simple works: "the cup and lid can go straight in your plastic recycling at home."

For venues with a sustainability focus, stocking Shmoo is a concrete talking point. It is not just a "recyclable" claim — the recycled content in the material and the printed recycling instructions are specific, verifiable details that hold up to customer scrutiny.

Shmoo Disposables Packs

Shmoo disposables are available in two sizes to match the standard Shmoo serving format:

• Small — 13fl oz, approximately 120 cups per case
• Large — 22fl oz, approximately 86 cups per case

Each pack includes cups, lids, and paper straws — everything needed for takeaway service. Packs are priced from £17.00 ex VAT.

Browse the full Shmoo disposables range, explore the complete Shmoo milkshake range including powders and starter kits, or view our wider disposables range for compliant takeaway products across all drink types. Contact us if you have questions about sustainable disposables options for your venue.