0:00:01 > 0:00:06We've got used to buying what we want, when we want it.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11But the cost of consuming so much stuff is waste.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Mountains of it.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18'Last year I shone the spotlight on the millions of tonnes
0:00:18 > 0:00:20'of food that was being trashed.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:22That's naughty.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23'At home...'
0:00:23 > 0:00:26A quarter of all the carrots we buy are thrown away at home.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27'..by our supermarkets...'
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Oh, my God! Oh, my goodness, look at them.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32'..and on our farms.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Why do we just throw it away? It's madness.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41'And I discovered that our throwaway culture doesn't stop at food.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:43That is a quality saucepan.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47'But waste is the one environmental disaster we can all do something about,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'and you showed that you're willing to make a difference.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55'Hundreds of thousands of you joined my rubbish revolution.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57'And I'm excited to report that as a result,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00'some amazing things have happened.'
0:01:00 > 0:01:0350,000 people are getting fed who weren't getting fed before.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Every week.
0:01:05 > 0:01:10'And now in the final push, I've got two new targets in my sights -
0:01:10 > 0:01:11'packaging overkill...'
0:01:11 > 0:01:13This was all that was in the box.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15It's a victory for common sense!
0:01:15 > 0:01:19'..and a recycling scandal that most of us never knew existed.'
0:01:20 > 0:01:22So this is a nightmare!
0:01:22 > 0:01:26'I need you more than ever to take on the high-street giants
0:01:26 > 0:01:28'who aren't as green as they seem.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:31I've got a megaphone and I'm not afraid to use it.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36One year, 2.5 billion coffee cups thrown away.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41So, join me in my War On Waste.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54In the past 15 years, we've trebled the amount that we recycle at home,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59but when it comes to the bins on our streets, we're struggling.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Part of the reason for this has been the explosion
0:02:02 > 0:02:05in the number of coffee outlets across the UK.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Our love affair with lattes means that in a single year, we throw away
0:02:13 > 0:02:18a staggering 2.5 billion innocent-looking cardboard cups.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24So, what actually happens to these cups after we bin them?
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Early in the morning here in the city, the very busy strip,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31lots of coffees going down, and my mission is to find out
0:02:31 > 0:02:35where people think their coffee cups are ending up.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38What are you going to do with the cup when you finish your drink?
0:02:38 > 0:02:39Recycle it.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- Recycling bin or regular bin? - No, recycling bin, yes.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- I'll put it in a recycling bin.- You will put in a recycling bin.- Yes.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48- So do you think it's recyclable? - I would hope so.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50What makes you think that cup is recyclable?
0:02:50 > 0:02:54Because it's a paper cup and paper is recyclable.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It's a paper cup. Paper is recyclable.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Stands to reason, doesn't it?
0:02:58 > 0:03:03So determined is the general public to recycle their coffee cups
0:03:03 > 0:03:06that there are more coffee cups in here and in here.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10In fact, I can only see one in here, half a dozen in here,
0:03:10 > 0:03:11loads in here.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15So the public wants to recycle their coffee cups,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18the public believes their coffee cups CAN be recycled.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22This suggests that they can't.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25And, like most of us, until recently,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28I also assumed that these cups could be given
0:03:28 > 0:03:32a new lease of life, along with the rest of our recyclables.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34So what's going on?
0:03:34 > 0:03:38To find out more, I'm meeting up with packaging expert Mark Shaylor.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Who'd have thought the world of coffee cups would be so baffling?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45What I've been hearing on the street is, "It's a paper cup,
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- "it must be recyclable, I'll put in the recycling."- Absolutely.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51People think it's just cardboard with wax on it,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54whereas it's actually cardboard with polyethylene on it.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Polyethylene already doesn't sound so nice.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Well, it does its job, it keeps the cup waterproof,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03it lets it hold water, or in this case, coffee,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07but the problem with it is when it goes into the recycling stream,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10it doesn't allow the cardboard to be recycled effectively.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14And what makes it worse is it's not just lined with plastic
0:04:14 > 0:04:17but you have to use virgin material in the board.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19You have to chop down new trees.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21So you can't make a cup like this out of recycled paper?
0:04:21 > 0:04:23No, because you've got an open seam here.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26You get a lot of links in recycled papers and they're not allowed
0:04:26 > 0:04:29to be transferred directly into food and therefore
0:04:29 > 0:04:30you have to have virgin material.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34This symbol here with the arrows pointing round in a triangle,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37everybody thinks that's a tick for recycling,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and it kind of makes people think that the whole thing's recyclable.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43So there's two things there, firstly the symbol's on the sleeve,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45not the cup, so the sleeve,
0:04:45 > 0:04:49that has got one set of requirements in terms of recyclability.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54Two, the second thing, that doesn't mean recyclable, that can just mean
0:04:54 > 0:04:57a way of informing you what material it's made of.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59This one's really interesting cos this one has
0:04:59 > 0:05:04the equivalent of the sleeve stuck to the outside and that,
0:05:04 > 0:05:10that's recyclable, and made of recycled material, and that isn't.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13So that's got a little symbol there,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- which people take as a sort of eco-tick of some kind.- Absolutely.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Have you ever seen anyone take that off and put that
0:05:19 > 0:05:22- in the recycling and that in the general waste?- Only me.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25- You're probably the only person in the country who does it.- Absolutely.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29So millions of us are putting these cups into recycling bins,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31they're not going to be recycled.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- They have to be sorted out, don't they?- Yes, someone's got to
0:05:34 > 0:05:37solve that problem or you get rid of that entire load of paper,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39you can't recycle it because it's too contaminated.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- So this is a nightmare!- Completely.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Clearly, none of these companies is feeling the pressure
0:05:43 > 0:05:45from their customers to act on this,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and that's because their customers think they're already recycling.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50The public don't know there's a problem
0:05:50 > 0:05:53so the public's not asking for a solution.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56The booming UK coffee market means that
0:05:56 > 0:05:59seven million cups are being binned every single day.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03And three giants of the high street dominate this business -
0:06:03 > 0:06:08Costa, Starbucks and Caffe Nero.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13But judging by their websites, you'd think they were as green as grass.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17I think it's time to get this out in the open
0:06:17 > 0:06:21so I'm writing to them to get their side of the story.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25But if I'm going to take on such huge corporations,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27I'm going to need your help.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30And I reckon you'll be up for it,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33just like you were last year
0:06:33 > 0:06:37when you helped me take on the supermarkets over their crazy
0:06:37 > 0:06:39cosmetic standards that were driving farmers
0:06:39 > 0:06:43like the Hammond family in Norfolk to the brink.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- That can't go in. That one's too big.- Too big?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49What's wrong with that one?
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- Too short.- Too short?- Yes. - Too short.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Far too short. They're all too small.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58I found out that almost all supermarket fruit and veg
0:06:58 > 0:07:01is graded using strict cosmetic standards
0:07:01 > 0:07:06that define to the millimetre exactly what's acceptable.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Some of the produce that fails this beauty contest
0:07:09 > 0:07:11can be sold as animal feed
0:07:11 > 0:07:14or used in other products like soup or salads,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17but the rest is left to rot,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20or else gets ploughed back into the ground.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24After 30 years in the parsnip business,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27the Hammonds decided they just couldn't afford to go on.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31What's the point coming up here seven days a week to do this for...
0:07:31 > 0:07:34you know, for nothing.
0:07:34 > 0:07:35You're upset, aren't you?
0:07:37 > 0:07:41When I finally had the chance to confront the supermarket
0:07:41 > 0:07:43in question about this crisis,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47they seemed to suggest that the problem was down to the consumer.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52Customers look at a product that is scarred or oddly shaped
0:07:52 > 0:07:56and might go, "Actually, I don't want to buy that product."
0:07:56 > 0:07:58If you get a very, very clear message from your customers
0:07:58 > 0:08:01that they're willing to meet you halfway,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03they are ready to be adaptable.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07- We're listening...- Will you respond to that very boldly?
0:08:07 > 0:08:08- Yes.- Yes?
0:08:08 > 0:08:12- Yes, so the point is, Hugh... - Fantastic, Steve.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Julian, you'll be behind that, won't you?
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Of course, we listen to our customers.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20So it was time to make your voices heard..
0:08:20 > 0:08:23"I agree that wasting millions of tonnes of food a year is immoral
0:08:23 > 0:08:25"and I want my supermarket to put a stop to this."
0:08:25 > 0:08:26Without a doubt.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30I asked you to pledge your support to help force all of our
0:08:30 > 0:08:35supermarkets to relax their crazy cosmetic standards and reduce waste.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38We want to make sure that gets eaten, not wasted.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39I think that's a good idea.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- Your pledge will make a difference. - Hope so.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45And you did so in your hundreds of thousands.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49And I'm thrilled to say that, within just a few months
0:08:49 > 0:08:53of this public outcry, many of our supermarkets have responded
0:08:53 > 0:08:57with new ranges of cosmetically imperfect fruit and veg,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00which are available in stores right now.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04But are these new wonky veg lines a real game changer
0:09:04 > 0:09:07or just a flash in the saucepan?
0:09:07 > 0:09:11I'm catching up with waste campaigner Tristram Stuart
0:09:11 > 0:09:12to get his take on it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- There you go. - Interesting times.- Indeed.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- Some things have happened since we last met you. - Yes, they seem to have done.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22ASDA's wonky range predated the shows that went out and
0:09:22 > 0:09:25the public pledge, but everything I've got in this box
0:09:25 > 0:09:29I'm pretty sure is a new line that's come out, some of them
0:09:29 > 0:09:33only a matter of weeks ago, and all of them since 300,000 people
0:09:33 > 0:09:36asked the supermarkets to step up and address this issue.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39So we've got Tesco - they haven't chosen the word wonky,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41they've gone for another clever bit of marketing,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43"perfectly imperfect".
0:09:43 > 0:09:46And Waitrose, "a little less than perfect".
0:09:46 > 0:09:48A LITTLE less than perfect.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Morrisons, who you may recall I had a little bit of a run-in,
0:09:52 > 0:09:56have actually, as far as I can tell they've got the widest range of all
0:09:56 > 0:09:57in terms of individual veg.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00I've got three of them here but there are more.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03These are just the sort of things that I was seeing rejected
0:10:03 > 0:10:06- at the Hammonds' farm.- Look at that. - It's a very handsome parsnip.- It is.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Are these new lines of wonky, imperfect, less than perfect veg,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13are they really helping to reduce the piles of waste?
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Would that be overoptimistic?
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I think it could be a step in that direction, Hugh,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21I think we have to be mindful that at the moment the scale
0:10:21 > 0:10:25that these projects are going out on is really quite small.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28There's still an awful lot of waste of exactly the kind
0:10:28 > 0:10:30we've been talking about still going on.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35If this becomes mainstream, so that those cosmetic standards
0:10:35 > 0:10:38are relaxed across the board and permanently,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40then that is what victory looks like.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46So how close are we to achieving Tristram's vision?
0:10:46 > 0:10:51Will these small-scale wonky ranges really pave the way for
0:10:51 > 0:10:55a wholesale relaxation of standards across all produce?
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Well, I've managed to track down one farmer who has been given
0:10:59 > 0:11:02a bit of cosmetic wiggle room by some of the supermarkets.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05At least for the time being.
0:11:07 > 0:11:08Hi, David.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11'David Simmons grows cauliflowers for five of the UK's
0:11:11 > 0:11:15'biggest supermarkets but he's been struggling with
0:11:15 > 0:11:17'the unseasonably warm winter.'
0:11:17 > 0:11:18It's been horrendous.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21We're now in, well, the beginning of February and this is
0:11:21 > 0:11:24a variety that we should be cutting middle to end of March.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- So they're just super early. - Oh, incredibly early.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29I know from my own veg patch just how hard it is
0:11:29 > 0:11:31to grow a perfect cauli.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36I imagine the supermarkets are fairly demanding of your spec,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38what they should be like.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Unfortunately, everyone wants perfection
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and they forget that it's grown out in the fields.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45We've got the weather to tolerate,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48we've got the pests and diseases that come with it
0:11:48 > 0:11:51and it's very, very difficult to get a perfect cauliflower.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Just looking along the row here,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56I can tell you I'm seeing caulis that, by my own amateur
0:11:56 > 0:11:59veg-growing standards, I'd be extremely proud of.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I mean, that looks to me like a beaut.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Well, unfortunately it's the colour that's wrong with that one.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09- The colour?- Yep. - You're telling me that's a reject?
0:12:09 > 0:12:12In the normal spec, that would be a reject because it's too yellow.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13- Too yellow?- Yes.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16They should be white to ivory in colour, it's certainly not
0:12:16 > 0:12:19a perfect cauliflower, and that's all down to the warm weather.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22If you were working to the usual very strict supermarket specs
0:12:22 > 0:12:25on this field of caulis, how many would you be harvesting?
0:12:25 > 0:12:28We probably wouldn't be harvesting any in here.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- This whole field?- With the whole field there'd be such
0:12:30 > 0:12:33a small portion in here that would be acceptable that we would say
0:12:33 > 0:12:36it's not worth the economics of coming in to harvest it.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38So how many caulis are in this field?
0:12:38 > 0:12:40There's about 120,000 caulis.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44'In fact 120,000 is quite modest,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48'compared to the two million cauliflowers David has had to
0:12:48 > 0:12:51'leave rotting in the fields over the past few months
0:12:51 > 0:12:54'because until now, the supermarkets have been too choosy.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00'However, today there is a team hard at work, and what's making
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'this harvest viable for David is not just a wonky veg range but
0:13:04 > 0:13:09'a change in the spec for the whole crop from key supermarket buyers.'
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Well, Morrisons have turned around and relaxed the specification
0:13:13 > 0:13:16- on the looseness around the sides. - Well done, Morrisons.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Yes, and also they've given us a slight tolerance on colour
0:13:19 > 0:13:22so that we can go slightly more off-white.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25We do need the support of the supermarket
0:13:25 > 0:13:28and work as a partnership and work as a team together and it just needs
0:13:28 > 0:13:31a little nudge from people like yourself to try and say,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33you know, take these blemishes, you know,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36support the British farmer because if we're not, we're gone.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Quite a lot of the cauliflowers haven't been cut and are going
0:13:42 > 0:13:46to go to waste, but the upside is that actually a lot of them
0:13:46 > 0:13:50have been cut, and that could so easily have not been the case.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53In fact this whole field would have been written off if the
0:13:53 > 0:13:57supermarkets hadn't actually relaxed their cosmetic standards,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00talked to the farmer, introduced a wonky veg line to help
0:14:00 > 0:14:06move them along. A whole field, 120,000 caulis totally wasted,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10or make the best of a difficult situation and harvest maybe
0:14:10 > 0:14:13half of them, and they're on the shelves and we can all eat them.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15I mean, spot the difference!
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Morrisons aren't the only ones to rise to the challenge.
0:14:18 > 0:14:23I'm delighted to say that since 300,000 of you signed my pledge
0:14:23 > 0:14:26demanding that cosmetic standards be relaxed,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28there've been encouraging changes
0:14:28 > 0:14:30from most of the other supermarkets too.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35M&S, Lidl, Aldi and the Co-op have all told me that they're
0:14:35 > 0:14:39easing up the specs on some of their British-grown produce.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43Mostly carrots, onions and potatoes.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46And there's even good news on the import front.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Tesco are looking further afield and relaxing
0:14:49 > 0:14:52their cosmetic standards for green beans from Kenya.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57But to seriously reduce the waste of perfectly good food,
0:14:57 > 0:15:01it's vital that our retailers relax cosmetic standards
0:15:01 > 0:15:03across all their fruit and veg lines.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And they'll only do this if we keep asking for change.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11In the meantime I'm turning my sights
0:15:11 > 0:15:14to another crazy pile of waste.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18The UK generates more than ten million tonnes of
0:15:18 > 0:15:21packaging waste a year.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24And half of this ends up in our bins at home.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Whether our purchases are bubble-wrapped, vac-packed,
0:15:28 > 0:15:33or simply in the wrong size box, it's become a headache for us all.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Hello there, waste warriors. Today I want to share with you
0:15:37 > 0:15:40an everyday story of consumer frustration.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46'A few months ago, I asked you to tell me about your packaging woes.'
0:15:46 > 0:15:52Please post your videos of stupid packaging that's driving you insane.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55We'll work out together which is the maddest of the lot
0:15:55 > 0:15:59and then, on your behalf, I'll go after the culprits.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Look at that.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05There's a sort of wrap rage going on now on this Facebook page.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10And we are in a world of cardboard gone mad.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13This is a year planner so it's rolled up,
0:16:13 > 0:16:15so it would fit very nicely into a cardboard tube,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19but, oh, no, they stick the rolled-up tube into an enormous box
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and wrap it with huge amounts of plastic packaging.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Three small printer ink cartridges and
0:16:25 > 0:16:29a packet of foolscap paper in a box that's big enough for a small child
0:16:29 > 0:16:33to make a den in, and people have been sending me videos too.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37Hello, Hugh, I'm about to open a package from Amazon.com and I have
0:16:37 > 0:16:40a feeling that it's maybe one of those packages
0:16:40 > 0:16:44- that I'm not going to like. - Oh, a lot of paper. A big box.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46This is all that was in the box.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51I think that could have been packaged a lot better. Definitely.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54I agree it could, and that's absolutely typical.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57A couple of small things in the bottom of a big box
0:16:57 > 0:16:59and loads and loads of paper.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02People have had a pop at some very well-known names here.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04M&S. John Lewis.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Next. House Of Fraser.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08But way out in front,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11far more complaints than all the others put together, and I
0:17:11 > 0:17:14don't think you're going to get any prizes if you've guessed who it is,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Amazon, you're driving us all nuts with your packaging!
0:17:22 > 0:17:27'And to make sure these aren't just blips in the system,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30'I've got clicking and ordered a few of the items
0:17:30 > 0:17:33'that seem to have given you the most grief.'
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Ah, look at that.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37What does it say on the site again?
0:17:37 > 0:17:40"Amazon has developed a software programme that determines
0:17:40 > 0:17:44"the right size box for any given item to be shipped to a customer."
0:17:44 > 0:17:45Really?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Hi, is that Amazon customer services?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Who in Amazon is in charge of packaging?
0:17:56 > 0:18:01But if I wanted to actually talk to someone about Amazon's policy on packaging?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03So there'd be no chance of me speaking to that person?
0:18:03 > 0:18:06I like a challenge, I mean, why would I have no chance?
0:18:06 > 0:18:11If my question is, what is Amazon doing to improve their packaging
0:18:11 > 0:18:14so that it's less wasteful? Sorry?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I will never get an answer to that question?
0:18:17 > 0:18:22What if I was making a documentary for BBC television about wasteful packaging?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25My name's Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28H-U-G-H.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31As a customer, I can't get to talk to somebody who can make
0:18:31 > 0:18:35a difference, but maybe, as a film-maker or a journalist, I can.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38That's what I'm going to have to try next.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42And what about the recycling scandal on our high streets?
0:18:42 > 0:18:47Well, it feels like I'm heading for a showdown with Britain's
0:18:47 > 0:18:51biggest coffee chains, because I've discovered that hardly any
0:18:51 > 0:18:54disposable coffee cups are being recycled.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58And, yet, both Costa and Starbucks give the impression
0:18:58 > 0:19:01on their websites that they are.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05"Our cups are recyclable in locations across the UK."
0:19:05 > 0:19:07What's that all about?
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Well, I've looked into it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12'And it turns out that there is one facility in the North of England
0:19:12 > 0:19:16'that has a specialist process to recycle these kind of plastic-lined
0:19:16 > 0:19:22'cups, but they told me that this is still at a trial stage and
0:19:22 > 0:19:27'the truth is only a tiny number of used cups ever actually get here.'
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Costa are sending less than 1%.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32In fact, 1% is a super-generous estimate of the maximum
0:19:32 > 0:19:36they could be sending. Happen to think it's way less than that.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39"We are working with our manufacturer to create a cup
0:19:39 > 0:19:41"that can be recycled anywhere in the world.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45"This all adds up to one of the world's most environmentally friendly paper cups."
0:19:45 > 0:19:48Great. That I'd like to hear about.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49That is the solution,
0:19:49 > 0:19:52a well-designed cup that can be recycled anywhere, so I've written
0:19:52 > 0:19:56to Costa and asked them for an interview to talk about cups.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59I'd love to ask them about this brilliant cup they're inventing.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Unfortunately, they've turned me down.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03Is it because they don't think
0:20:03 > 0:20:07the world wants to hear about their fantastic new recyclable cup?
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Is it because perhaps they haven't got as close to it
0:20:09 > 0:20:11as they'd like us to believe?
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Is it, in fact, because under close scrutiny interrogation
0:20:14 > 0:20:16all these claims start to fall down?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Starbucks' website is even more baffling.
0:20:21 > 0:20:27"We have set a goal to make 100% of our cups reusable or recyclable by 2015."
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Well, it's 2016 and I don't think that's happened.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34'Like Costa, Starbucks make a big deal of the fact that their cups
0:20:34 > 0:20:39'are TECHNICALLY recyclable, but curiously, they're not even clients
0:20:39 > 0:20:43'of the one facility that could take their cups.'
0:20:43 > 0:20:46They cannot reasonably claim that on a technicality, their cups are
0:20:46 > 0:20:50recyclable, because in theory there's one place that could do it,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54but they don't send the cups there. I mean, that's a total nonsense,
0:20:54 > 0:20:57that is taking the public for idiots and they can't get away with it.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'But surely it's not impossible to make a coffee cup
0:21:02 > 0:21:05'that can be easily recycled?'
0:21:05 > 0:21:06- Morning.- Morning!- Hi.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10'In his workshop in south London, inventor Martin Myerscough
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'thinks that he may have come up with a solution.'
0:21:13 > 0:21:17We make our cups out of pure cardboard, then we make a liner.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19We put the liner into the cup.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22When that goes to the mill, the paper breaks down,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24the liner comes free, gets caught in the filters
0:21:24 > 0:21:27and the cardboard carries on and gets recycled.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29I'm guessing that that's not your finished product,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31with this bit of plastic sticking out.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32No, that's just to demonstrate it,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36so what we do is we actually roll over that bit of plastic in the process,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39we heat-shrink it round the top and you end up with a very smooth rim.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It looks very like a regular cup.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Yes, one of the other advantages is because our liner is intact
0:21:46 > 0:21:49before we put it in, it's actually leak-proof,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51we can then use a recycled board.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55There is a well-known brand of coffee that claim on their website
0:21:55 > 0:21:58that they have one of the most environmentally friendly
0:21:58 > 0:21:59coffee cups in the world.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Um...
0:22:02 > 0:22:04And it's rather like one of these.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09That seems an odd claim to make if this coffee cup exists.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13Are you having some good conversations with big coffee-sellers of the world?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Well, I think there's always resistance to new ideas and
0:22:16 > 0:22:19we are having good conversations but, like always, it's just moving
0:22:19 > 0:22:23people away from what they're used to, to something different.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29'Martin's keen to show me how his new design compares to a standard cup.'
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- This is Henry, who's worked with me for years.- How are you?
0:22:32 > 0:22:35This is basically a replica of what the paper pulp mills use
0:22:35 > 0:22:38- to test how the paper is broken down.- OK.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41So are we going to start with the conventional.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Got McDonald's and Waitrose here.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- Turn that on.- Turn it on.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52Coffee cup soup.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55If you stop at that, Andrew, we'll have a look at it.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57- May I?- Please.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01The plastic is starting to be exposed a bit
0:23:01 > 0:23:04but there's still a lot of papery gunk stuck to the plastic,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- and so that's not working in the mills.- No.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10This is some test samples that we did before the paper mill,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13you see, so here you can see the newspaper, that's all very nice,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and here you can see the lumps of the existing cups.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So that would be unacceptable because you just get too many lumps
0:23:19 > 0:23:21in the papermaking process.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- So, can we do it with your cups now? - Yes.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31OK, can I have a little fish in there? Ah! OK.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33There's quite a big piece of the lining.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Yeah, I can see that comes away,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39even the bits that are stuck will then come away really easily.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41So the crucial point is that the paper mills have said, yes,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43they'll take them, this works for them.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Yes, so we've tested it in newspaper mills, corrugated mills,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49mixed paper mills, and they all say it is commercially acceptable. Yes.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52It's clear that solutions do exist,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55so if Britain's coffee drinkers demand a cup
0:23:55 > 0:23:57that really can be recycled,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02then surely the retailers will have no choice but to change their ways.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08'Meanwhile, in the world of Amazon, I'm primed and ready
0:24:08 > 0:24:11'to challenge them over their excessive packaging,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15'but I'm struggling to track down an Amazonian who can help me.'
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Hi, is that James?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Yes, it's Hugh.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21We're trying to find out what the big players
0:24:21 > 0:24:24in the world of business are doing about the issue of waste.
0:24:24 > 0:24:30'I've been chasing Amazon's PR chief James to chase their head of boxes,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32'if there is one, for an interview.'
0:24:32 > 0:24:36I think it would show leadership from Amazon if they were prepared
0:24:36 > 0:24:41to come forward and talk about the issue and what you're doing about it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Thanks, James, cheers.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47He's certainly going to go and talk to somebody about talking to us.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51That's how these things always start.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54"Yeah, can I just, you know, I'll talk, we'll talk about it,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57"you know, we'll talk about it here at Amazon and we'll definitely,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00"you know, of course we take it very seriously, and we'll get back to you."
0:25:00 > 0:25:02It's one of those... you know...
0:25:02 > 0:25:04One of those conversations.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10But tackling the waste issue isn't just down to the biggest corporations.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14We've all got a part to play.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Last year, I challenged the residents
0:25:17 > 0:25:19of one street in Greater Manchester
0:25:19 > 0:25:23to curb their food waste and ramp up their recycling.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27You don't want to open it. It's not recycled.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Oh! Oh, my God.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It doesn't smell good, Michelle.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34'Even the worst offenders rose to the challenge.'
0:25:34 > 0:25:37What I'm really interested in is how you're getting on with your bins.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Have a look.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Oh, come on! That's too good to be true!
0:25:43 > 0:25:46'They formed an online community to share hints and tips
0:25:46 > 0:25:49'on saving food and money.'
0:25:49 > 0:25:53- Are you going to stick with it? CROWD:- Yes!
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Thank you, Prestwich. Hurray!
0:25:55 > 0:25:59'And it seems that Waste Not Prestwich have inspired the nation.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Over the past few months, dozens of Waste Not groups
0:26:03 > 0:26:05have been popping up around Britain.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10Within 24 hours, I had 150 people signed up, which was brilliant.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Since the Waste Not campaign's got going,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15people have been really excited about it,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18really happy to come down to events like this, reduce their waste
0:26:18 > 0:26:21and do what they can, so it's been really good for us.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Whilst we're gradually getting to grips with most of our household recycling,
0:26:26 > 0:26:31there is one type of waste that's spiralling out of control -
0:26:31 > 0:26:33electronics.
0:26:33 > 0:26:38In the UK, we're chucking out half a million appliances every single day.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Much of this waste is gear that's considered obsolete
0:26:42 > 0:26:44or just not worth repairing.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48But some communities are bucking that trend,
0:26:48 > 0:26:53by reviving the lost art of fixing stuff.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58I've accepted an invitation from one of the busiest new
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Waste Not groups in the UK, here in Stroud in Gloucestershire.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06Tonight they've got an event planned that I'm very intrigued by.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- This is your old school?- It is, yes. I went to school here.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14'Ginny Smart is the founder of Waste Not Stroud and is organising
0:27:14 > 0:27:19'their first-ever Restart Party, where a team of experts help
0:27:19 > 0:27:23'others learn how to mend devices that would otherwise get binned.'
0:27:24 > 0:27:26She's got no idea how many people will turn up
0:27:26 > 0:27:30or even whether they'll be able to fix anything.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33But if it proves a success, she's hoping it could spark
0:27:33 > 0:27:37a whole new wave of recycling amongst her community.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Lead technician Ugo Vallauri pairs us up with a suitable mender.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- You got a crack squad in tonight, have you?- We do, we do.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51Sharing repair skills and showing the world that we can repair more
0:27:51 > 0:27:54- and throw away less. - Great.- Thank you.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57'All too often, we assume it's cheaper to buy a replacement than to
0:27:57 > 0:28:02'fix something, but Ugo insists that with the safe guidance of experts,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05'our pre-loved stuff can be re-loved again.'
0:28:07 > 0:28:11- I heard the familiar sound of a food processor whizzing.- Yes!
0:28:11 > 0:28:12Does that mean you've just fixed it?
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Demo whizzing, yes.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Hi there, how's it going?
0:28:18 > 0:28:19Yeah, we're getting there, actually.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22So, you're the one doing the fixing now?
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- Are you teaching him how to fix things?- It's just a rewiring job.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Do you find often people come to you with things that they
0:28:29 > 0:28:31have been sitting idle on a shelf,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34supposedly broken for years and you can fix them in a matter of minutes?
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Er, yes, occasionally.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Some others you scratch your head for but I think it's also
0:28:39 > 0:28:40being able to go to a place,
0:28:40 > 0:28:44you make a commitment to fix it and that's another thing.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45And about getting the confidence, I agree.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50'Of course, it helps to know the tricks of the trade.'
0:28:50 > 0:28:53No way, no way, you found the hidden screws under the sticker.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55This is so exciting.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57'But the longer we can make use of a piece of tech,
0:28:57 > 0:28:59the less e-waste gets generated.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02- And go for it. - Oh, my God, she pressed the button!
0:29:02 > 0:29:05- You might be asked again, are you really sure?- OK.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07It should perform much faster.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10I just saw you press a button called "erase everything".
0:29:10 > 0:29:12- Erase everything. - That's quite hard-core, isn't it?
0:29:12 > 0:29:14It's also liberating, though.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Do you think a lot of people are replacing, buying new machines
0:29:16 > 0:29:19just because their machines have got super-slow and ground to a halt
0:29:19 > 0:29:22- and they don't know how to sort it out?- Yes, definitely.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24People don't know what to do and after a while
0:29:24 > 0:29:27they don't have that much time and so out of rage and frustration,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30they decide to put it aside and get a new one.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32Oh, yes!
0:29:32 > 0:29:34'And the fixes keep on coming.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39'Most of us have got old gadgets and gizmos that are destined for the dump,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43'but these days, the internet is full of videos and guides
0:29:43 > 0:29:45'to help you fix almost anything,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49'and events like this are more popular than ever.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52'So, why not give your old gear a new lease of life
0:29:52 > 0:29:56'and help fight back against the tide of electrical waste?'
0:29:59 > 0:30:02It's beginning to feel like a game of cat and mouse
0:30:02 > 0:30:04with the big three coffee companies,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08as I try to get them to address the issue of the billions
0:30:08 > 0:30:13of cardboard cups that their customers think are being recycled,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15but aren't.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18So, it's time to grab their attention.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21I'm looking for a big, bold idea.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Something that's going to make a really striking impression
0:30:24 > 0:30:26in a short space of time.
0:30:26 > 0:30:30So, I've come to one of the biggest art schools in the UK.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33Should be full of students with lots of brilliant ideas.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35'And to get the ideas buzzing,
0:30:35 > 0:30:39'I've come armed with 2,000 reject coffee cups.'
0:30:39 > 0:30:42I'm quite excited, little bit nervous,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45so I'm just going to literally dive in. I've bought some things with me.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51It's 2.5 billion cups every year.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54That's the scale of the problem, that's what we need to change.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58What I want us to do together is create that outrage.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02We could just create a coffee shop, but out of coffee cups.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06We could make a giant ball. You know how they attach cups, like this?
0:31:06 > 0:31:08- And turn into...- It makes a curve
0:31:08 > 0:31:10and then that could be rolled around.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12What size would that sphere be, though?
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Is there a way of making that stable enough that you could
0:31:14 > 0:31:17- roll it down the street? - That would be crazy.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20You could have a ball, but you're not necessarily putting across
0:31:20 > 0:31:21the very clear message...
0:31:21 > 0:31:23So, you could have a blank side and a coloured side,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- and you could have letters or numbers.- Like the...
0:31:26 > 0:31:32A letter would be spelled by pixels, so each cup would be a pixel,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34and that would be, like massive.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36One minutes' worth of cups potentially gives us 5,000 pixels.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38So, like that?
0:31:38 > 0:31:41I think we can get this message out to a lot of people and make
0:31:41 > 0:31:45them start thinking about what's happening to their coffee cups.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49I think we could be on the road to an idea that will really
0:31:49 > 0:31:51drive the message home.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Right, it took an awful lot of calls and e-mails,
0:32:00 > 0:32:04but I have finally got my interview with Amazon,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08on this lovely, sunny day, and I'm just minutes away.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10I think the reason I've got this interview
0:32:10 > 0:32:13is because on social media, this whole issue
0:32:13 > 0:32:17has just gone nuts, and way more than half of those postings
0:32:17 > 0:32:21are to do with Amazon deliveries, so Amazon just can't ignore this.
0:32:25 > 0:32:26Looks big.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27DIALLING TONE
0:32:27 > 0:32:28BEEP
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Hello, reception, how can I help?
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Hi, it's Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, here.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36- I'm here to film an interview? - OK.- Thank you.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41'Amazon have decided to fly in their Global Head of Sustainability
0:32:41 > 0:32:45'from the States, just for this interview.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48'I'm hoping that's a sign that they take this problem seriously.'
0:32:48 > 0:32:51- Hi.- Hi, Hugh. I'm Kara Hurst.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53- Kara, how are you? - Welcome to Amazon.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Thank you, very excited to be here.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Hi, Hugh, nice to meet you, I'm Nick Sweeney, I'm a regional director for this site.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00- Nick?- Yes.- Excellent.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04'But before I get to sit down with their international waste envoy,'
0:33:04 > 0:33:08I've asked for a tour of what they call the Fulfilment Centre.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10So, we just head down here.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Turning this corner, I get a sense of the scale of this place.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Yes, this is part of it.
0:33:15 > 0:33:16Gosh.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20This is between 500 and 600,000 square feet.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22- Pretty big.- Yeah...
0:33:22 > 0:33:25It's probably the biggest single room I've ever stood in, in my life.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27NICK LAUGHS
0:33:27 > 0:33:33Nick tells me that Amazon has nine other similar facilities in the UK.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37And that there are well over a million different product lines
0:33:37 > 0:33:40stored in this particular fulfilment centre.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44But the way they're organised on the shelves is somewhat baffling.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- I don't know what that is, it's a car part?- Yeah...
0:33:48 > 0:33:50There's playdough, a car part,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52a safety helmet.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Some kind of doggy toy,
0:33:55 > 0:33:58all next to each other, completely unconnected.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00- Yes.- Is it roughly to do with size?
0:34:00 > 0:34:05In our systems we know where every item is, but you're spot on...
0:34:05 > 0:34:09'With their whole layout based on product size, you'd think
0:34:09 > 0:34:13'their choice of packaging would be equally meticulous.'
0:34:13 > 0:34:16I wonder what sort of size box that will be sent out in?
0:34:16 > 0:34:20- Yes. I believe it would be one of our smaller boxes.- Let's hope!
0:34:22 > 0:34:24One thing I get straight away is that you have
0:34:24 > 0:34:29a phenomenal amount of products here and they are in many different
0:34:29 > 0:34:31shapes and sizes.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Nevertheless, I have read on your website that you've got a very,
0:34:34 > 0:34:39very smart bit of software that chooses the right-sized box
0:34:39 > 0:34:43for the right-sized item in a fantastically clever way.
0:34:45 > 0:34:49- This is what we call our CubiScan machine.- CubiScan?- CubiScan machine.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52So, what that allows us to do is make sure we have the
0:34:52 > 0:34:55dimensions for every item that we have in this centre, that we have on
0:34:55 > 0:34:59systems, because that's really important for a pack process.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03OK, we've got some kind of little cushion going on, or clothy thing.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06So, it weighs 0.84 kilos.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11It's 41 centimetres long, 41.4, 30.2 wide.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16So, our system now knows the right pack type to allocate to that item.
0:35:16 > 0:35:22The theory sounds good, but how well does it work in practice?
0:35:22 > 0:35:26I've asked to get some hands-on experience on the packing line.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30We've made you up your own badge
0:35:30 > 0:35:33for your time here at Amazon, which we all have.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34I'm called Hugh Fear!
0:35:34 > 0:35:36NICK LAUGHS
0:35:36 > 0:35:39- You can read into that what you want to.- You can.- It's made from your...
0:35:39 > 0:35:41NICK LAUGHS
0:35:42 > 0:35:44- OK, can I choose an item? - Want to go for one? Yeah, yeah.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46BEEPING
0:35:46 > 0:35:47E3.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52- Fab, so that's...- E3, OK. Right.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59I'm doing this using what you may or may not call common sense,
0:35:59 > 0:36:01but I've got a box of sorts.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03- Yes.- Now...
0:36:04 > 0:36:06NICK LAUGHS I would say...
0:36:06 > 0:36:10that box is slightly bigger than it needs to be.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14- Yeah.- Let's just to see if we can sneak it into an E1.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Not even an E2.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19So, if you put your foot on the pedal, and then, just...
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Oh, bloody hell. NICK LAUGHS
0:36:22 > 0:36:26That's a bit like making sausages. I've been here before.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30Now I understand why these boxes are so full of this paper.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Well, that's a bit of training that I clearly still need.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37I've probably got the box upside down and all the rest of it.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41But surely we can agree that that tub...
0:36:42 > 0:36:44fits quite happily in an E1.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47We need to make sure that it doesn't get damaged en route to the
0:36:47 > 0:36:51customer, so why we're putting the paper dunnage in,
0:36:51 > 0:36:52is to keep the item secure.
0:36:52 > 0:36:56If it's too flush with the top of the box, then you're at risk
0:36:56 > 0:36:59of the actual item getting damaged before it gets to the customer.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02I'd really like to put a label on this and send it in this box today.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03Please can I?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06- So, let me show you... - Am I going to be allowed
0:37:06 > 0:37:09to send it in this box, which it does fit in?
0:37:09 > 0:37:12If it gets damaged, I will give you feedback.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16I'm wondering why you don't have a box that's square.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19I mean, why isn't there a box that's that size?
0:37:19 > 0:37:21So, again, like, the...
0:37:21 > 0:37:25How many different box sizes are there here altogether
0:37:25 > 0:37:26for the computer to choose from?
0:37:26 > 0:37:30So, just for this process, we've got 17 different pack types.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32We're going to make this one work, aren't we?
0:37:32 > 0:37:35You're going to trust me that this one's going to work, aren't we?
0:37:35 > 0:37:37This is not how to pack it.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Not how to pack it for...
0:37:41 > 0:37:44- It's on the cusp. - Snug as a bug in a rug.
0:37:44 > 0:37:45NICK LAUGHS
0:37:46 > 0:37:50- So, I scan that.- Yeah, and then put it in that corner.- OK.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52I challenged your box system,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55I got it into a smaller box and you're going to let me send it.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00If nothing else, that does suggest that your system isn't perfect.
0:38:00 > 0:38:01I understand it's...
0:38:01 > 0:38:05You've got to choose the box sizes and your computer
0:38:05 > 0:38:08has to make a call and your computer's always going to err on
0:38:08 > 0:38:11the side of bigger because if he errs on the side of smaller
0:38:11 > 0:38:14and it doesn't get in, then all hell will break loose.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17But I do think it's a little bit telling and I'm very excited
0:38:17 > 0:38:19that I can put that...
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- NICK LAUGHS - So...
0:38:22 > 0:38:24NICK LAUGHS
0:38:24 > 0:38:26It's a victory for common sense.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30Since arriving on our shores two decades ago,
0:38:30 > 0:38:34Amazon has gone on to dominate the internet shopping market.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38They are now sending out more parcels than any other
0:38:38 > 0:38:40online retailer.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42With such a huge operation,
0:38:42 > 0:38:47even small improvements in box size, when applied across the millions of
0:38:47 > 0:38:52items they dispatch every day, could have big environmental benefits,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55from the manufacturing of packaging materials,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59to the number of vehicles used to transport their goods.
0:38:59 > 0:39:00Fascinating tour,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04but it's time to get to the nitty-gritty now and confront
0:39:04 > 0:39:08our visitor from America with some of this crazy packaging.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13And some of the posts on social media.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16What I really want to know is what's happening
0:39:16 > 0:39:18that's going to make all this change.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22'I'm hoping Amazon's Global Head of Sustainability, Kara Hurst,
0:39:22 > 0:39:24'will have some answers.'
0:39:24 > 0:39:26What's your reaction to this?
0:39:26 > 0:39:29What does Amazon feel is at the root of this problem,
0:39:29 > 0:39:31because it's ongoing, isn't it?
0:39:31 > 0:39:36We shipped over a billion packages in Europe last year
0:39:36 > 0:39:37throughout the EU.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40So, we're using a lot of packaging.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44In the majority of cases, we are getting it right, but we're on
0:39:44 > 0:39:47a journey, we're on a journey to get it right all the time.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Of course, one would hope certainly that the majority of cases...
0:39:51 > 0:39:55you're getting it right, but when one lipstick
0:39:55 > 0:39:58and nail varnish, and this seems to be quite a regular one,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01I'm sure it's not the first time you've seen this one, arrives
0:40:01 > 0:40:04in a box like that with a load of paper...
0:40:04 > 0:40:07- Mm-hm.- Um...
0:40:07 > 0:40:10You know, I think that this kind of packaging,
0:40:10 > 0:40:12we can obviously do better.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Anything...
0:40:14 > 0:40:17- Mm-hm.- ..long and thin seems... - Long and thin, yes.
0:40:17 > 0:40:18Why don't you do tubes?
0:40:18 > 0:40:22I've got a rolled-up map, that was the only thing in this,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24- a bottle washer, here...- Yeah.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28..comes in the same box with a lot of this paper,
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- a lot of this paper...- Yeah. - ..and a big box.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35And a good old cardboard tube doesn't seem
0:40:35 > 0:40:38to be anywhere in the selection system for Amazon.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39Is there a reason for that?
0:40:39 > 0:40:44It's in the system in Amazon and I haven't seen it in the UK, but
0:40:44 > 0:40:47it's a great call-out, something, one of those things we have
0:40:47 > 0:40:49to get better at, we're looking at.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52We've done a lot of work on the recyclability of our packaging,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55that's been a big area of focus. We're...
0:40:55 > 0:40:57The boxes themselves are, you know,
0:40:57 > 0:41:03over 99% from recycled content, they're 100% able to be recycled...
0:41:03 > 0:41:07That's good, but it's not an excuse for churning out huge amounts
0:41:07 > 0:41:09of unnecessary packaging.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12I mean, I've shown you a couple of examples that I've brought with me,
0:41:12 > 0:41:16but if you look just at the recent posts online, somebody here,
0:41:16 > 0:41:19there's a single tiny piece of jewellery,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21maybe just one spare bead for a necklace
0:41:21 > 0:41:24and it's come in this big box.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I get examples like this, too.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29And we ask our customers to send them to us, actually.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30Well, you're the big guys.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32You should be leading this, shouldn't you?
0:41:32 > 0:41:34I think we are in lots of ways.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Look, we have ways to go, again, we're on a journey with this,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41maybe some work to do in this long and thin space, right?
0:41:41 > 0:41:43- But you've been in business for a long time...- We have.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46..it really feels like you're only catching up with this now.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50We are fully committed and want to hear more about what...
0:41:50 > 0:41:53If I had £1 for every big company who told me they were
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- fully committed...- Uh-huh.- I expect in a minute, you're probably going
0:41:56 > 0:41:59to tell me you've got a trial on somewhere, trialling a new system.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03We're always innovating. I'd love to tell you about some of the things we're doing.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05We have a technology we are piloting that we're really
0:42:05 > 0:42:07excited about, called Box On Demand.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09- Piloting?- Mm-hm.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Kara tells me that Box On Demand makes packages to the specific
0:42:13 > 0:42:17dimensions of a product, meaning less wasted cardboard
0:42:17 > 0:42:20and fewer vehicles needed to make deliveries.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Sounds great.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26When do we get Box On Demand in the UK?
0:42:26 > 0:42:27That's a great question.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31We're thinking on a 12-20 month timeframe,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34right now, that we'll be ready to implement it more fully.
0:42:34 > 0:42:35I'd love to flip a switch and say,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38we're going to get everything done tomorrow.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41We're going as fast as we can go.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44We love to hear from our customers where we can do better.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Would it be helpful to you if people were posting these pictures
0:42:47 > 0:42:50- directly on the Amazon website? - In fact, they do, right?
0:42:50 > 0:42:53So we have customer feedback and we actively seek it,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57we ask our customers for feedback when they receive a package.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00There is a place on our site they can go and they can give us
0:43:00 > 0:43:03not only their feedback, but also upload a photo if they'd like to
0:43:03 > 0:43:06and we'll look at all of that information to help us get better.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11America's a long way to come just to tell me
0:43:11 > 0:43:14you care passionately about waste,
0:43:14 > 0:43:18you're fully committed to looking at lots of different solutions,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21and trialling this and piloting that.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24But I think one really interesting thing is to hear that Amazon
0:43:24 > 0:43:29welcomes their customers' feedback, their photos online,
0:43:29 > 0:43:33their physical evidence that this is an ongoing problem.
0:43:34 > 0:43:39So, if you're fed up with over-the-top packaging, don't hold back.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41Tell Amazon you're not happy.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Because if they feel the pressure from enough of you,
0:43:43 > 0:43:47they'll have to do something to end this cardboard crisis.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55The time has come to go public with the truth about paper cups.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59I want Britain to wake up to the fact that,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01despite what we think,
0:44:01 > 0:44:03and what the big coffee companies WANT us to think,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07our takeaway cups are not being recycled.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22There are 5,000 reject cardboard cups
0:44:22 > 0:44:26stuck to each side of our battle bus.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29That's how many the UK throws away every single minute.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34I'm hoping people will share pictures of our mobile masterpiece
0:44:34 > 0:44:38online, and get the whole nation talking about this issue.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Can't believe where we've come in the last ten days or so.
0:44:42 > 0:44:47We had a crazy idea, and today the crazy idea's happening.
0:44:47 > 0:44:49And we're going to make a big noise, a big splash.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53I've got a megaphone and I'm not afraid to use it!
0:44:54 > 0:44:57Good morning, Starbucks. Morning, Costa.
0:44:57 > 0:44:58Morning McDonald's.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Good morning, Pret.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Those cups are virtually unrecyclable.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05Really.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09We've got 10,000 cups stuck to our bus today.
0:45:09 > 0:45:14That's the amount of cups we throw away in the UK in just two minutes.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Hey, Starbucks! How many of your coffee cups were successfully recycled today?
0:45:19 > 0:45:22Any at all?
0:45:22 > 0:45:24It's not recyclable.
0:45:24 > 0:45:28- Why don't you come and talk to me man-to-man?- Of course.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31- My pleasure.- Trying to be clever...
0:45:31 > 0:45:33- Come and talk to me inside, you alone.- OK. Sure, let's do that.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37- I think you're talking a lot of rubbish.- OK. Well, let's talk about it...
0:45:37 > 0:45:40Starbucks store manager there came out and
0:45:40 > 0:45:43told me basically to sling my hook, didn't like what I was saying.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46You know, it's difficult. He said that I was sort of
0:45:46 > 0:45:48barging in and doing things in the wrong way.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50But, you know, I have been trying to get
0:45:50 > 0:45:52a face-to-face interview with these companies.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54Starbucks have said they WILL give me an interview.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57Unfortunately not today - I really wanted to get them up here
0:45:57 > 0:46:00on my coffee cup battle bus and talk to them.
0:46:00 > 0:46:04But I'm hoping that within a few days I'll get to talk to Starbucks,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07and get to the bottom of what they're really trying to do
0:46:07 > 0:46:08about the coffee cup situation.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15- Do you know why we're going round with these cups on the bus?- Why? - Cos none of them get recycled.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18- Oh. They should be, shouldn't they? - Everybody thinks that.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23We're definitely drawing a crowd.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26But I want this to go viral, and hit the headlines.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Takeaway coffee cups shouldn't Costa the earth!
0:46:30 > 0:46:35Things are really picking up. We've been trending on Twitter,
0:46:35 > 0:46:37our press release has hit the news desks.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39I'm going to talk to The Times, the Daily Mail...
0:46:39 > 0:46:41So, it's not an outright lie...
0:46:41 > 0:46:43- No.- ..these cups CAN be recycled...
0:46:43 > 0:46:47- ..but it's misleading.- I think "misleading" is not too strong a word.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50- Superb.- Excellent.- What do you think of our bus?- I think it's a great idea.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54- Would you prefer to get your coffee from somebody who DOES recycle their cups?- Yes.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57OK - well, maybe... It would be great if you let Starbucks know that.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00- Will you do it?- Consider it done.- Thank you very much.
0:47:01 > 0:47:07Meanwhile, my team are continuing to get our message out on social media.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12I've finally had a reply to my e-mail, from Caffe Nero.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14Might be a bit of a coincidence that it turned up today,
0:47:14 > 0:47:17since they were part of the Twitter storm.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20"The issue remains that more can be done to improve both
0:47:20 > 0:47:23"the recovery and recyclability of these cups,
0:47:23 > 0:47:25"and this is something that we are actively involved
0:47:25 > 0:47:27"in finding solutions for."
0:47:27 > 0:47:29They're actively involved in finding solutions -
0:47:29 > 0:47:32they're not actively involved in recycling any of their cups.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45THROUGH MEGAPHONE: 2.5 billion coffee cups a year going to waste...
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Wake up and smell the waste!
0:47:49 > 0:47:51It's been a fantastic day.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53The bus has been all over the city -
0:47:53 > 0:47:58now millions of coffee drinkers know that their coffee cups are not being recycled.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02And I'm hoping that they're going to join me and get something done about it.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Morning...
0:48:09 > 0:48:13It seems that my coffee cup battle bus has caused a bit of a stir.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17Well, celebrity chef and environmental campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
0:48:17 > 0:48:21is waging a battle against coffee companies who claim that their takeaway cups
0:48:21 > 0:48:24are recyclable, even though 99% of them -
0:48:24 > 0:48:27- yes, 99%...- Mm.- ..are sent to landfill each year.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29If the people are indignant about it -
0:48:29 > 0:48:34the coffee drinkers want change - then the companies will change, that's what's going to drive this.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Well, you've had some effect on wonky veg,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39- haven't you, so coffee cups is next. - Well, I hope so,
0:48:39 > 0:48:42and we've got to step up and deal with this issue of waste -
0:48:42 > 0:48:44whether it's food waste or paper waste, we've got to deal with it.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50Well. Suddenly, coffee cups are front-page news.
0:48:50 > 0:48:51I mean that literally.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54Front page of The Guardian -
0:48:54 > 0:48:56"What happens to your coffee cup?"
0:48:56 > 0:48:59The Times -
0:48:59 > 0:49:01"Coffee shop recycling claims are a lot of froth."
0:49:01 > 0:49:04See what they did there? Cappuccino, froth.
0:49:05 > 0:49:07And the Daily Mail.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10"Hypocrisy of the coffee giants."
0:49:10 > 0:49:13This is great. I mean, this is getting the word out.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17So I'm pushing harder than ever now for Costa, Caffe Nero and
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Starbucks to actually tell us what they're going to do about it.
0:49:21 > 0:49:26Despite the media storm, it looks to me like Costa and Caffe Nero
0:49:26 > 0:49:30are hoping this will all blow over. But I've got an ace up my sleeve...
0:49:32 > 0:49:35..my interview with Starbucks.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39In some ways, the best thing about the Starbucks interview is just that
0:49:39 > 0:49:42it shows that they're engaged, and that's very useful for me at
0:49:42 > 0:49:46at the moment because actually their main rivals, Nero and Costa,
0:49:46 > 0:49:50are not really engaged, they're not dealing with this, they're not addressing it.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Not just that they're not offering me an interview -
0:49:52 > 0:49:54they're not obliged to do that -
0:49:54 > 0:49:57but they're not saying anything significant about this issue.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02I'm just dropping Nero and Costa a line here,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05hoping to just goad them into doing something themselves.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07"Dear Costa.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10"I think you'll be aware now that I've taken to the streets to
0:50:10 > 0:50:14"tell the public about the problem of recycling your takeaway cups.
0:50:14 > 0:50:18"As I'd hoped, the public seem to be very engaged with this issue,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21"and there's been lots of media interest surrounding it too.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25"At the moment, I'm afraid you're not coming out of it too well."
0:50:25 > 0:50:29And while I hope that gives Costa and Nero a jolt,
0:50:29 > 0:50:33it's time for my interview with the biggest coffee chain on the planet.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35Surely Starbucks will lead the way
0:50:35 > 0:50:38for reform across the whole industry?
0:50:38 > 0:50:40- Hello, Hugh. Rhys, lovely to meet you.- Rhys.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42- And Jas?- Nice to meet you, Hugh. - Thanks very much.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46For a long time your website was implying
0:50:46 > 0:50:48that these are recyclable cups.
0:50:48 > 0:50:51And also, I've talked to your customers on the street -
0:50:51 > 0:50:53- most of them THINK these are recyclable cups...- Mm.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55..and that's one of our biggest problems, isn't it?
0:50:55 > 0:50:59Technically, our cups ARE 100% recyclable.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01But here in the UK, we recognise
0:51:01 > 0:51:03there just aren't the facilities locally to do that.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06And what we want to actively, and we are actively doing,
0:51:06 > 0:51:09is working with the recycling processes in the UK,
0:51:09 > 0:51:11because this technology exists today to do it.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13But you announced five years ago
0:51:13 > 0:51:16your determination to solve this problem - you announced it.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19Five years later, that still hasn't happened.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22It said on your website last week,
0:51:22 > 0:51:24"We are on track to do this by the end of 2015" -
0:51:24 > 0:51:28it still said that on your website in 2016, it still hasn't happened.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31Well, first of all, you're referring to a sustainability report,
0:51:31 > 0:51:35and we did make some bold claims about having fully recyclable cups.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39That's been updated. We don't want to mislead any of our customers -
0:51:39 > 0:51:42that's why we as a company have been crystal clear
0:51:42 > 0:51:46not put anything on this cup to say that it is recyclable.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50Shouldn't you have a big mark on your cup saying,
0:51:50 > 0:51:52"Please do not put this in a recycling bin", or
0:51:52 > 0:51:56"This cup is not recyclable in the normal waste system"?
0:51:56 > 0:51:58- Well...- Or just "Unrecyclable" in large letters?
0:51:58 > 0:52:00You've got to address the fact
0:52:00 > 0:52:03that the public thinks this cup's recyclable. Because they still do.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Well, that's something we would need to go and have a look at.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08- WILL you have a look at that? - Yeah, definitely have a look at it.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Because we take this issue very seriously.
0:52:11 > 0:52:14But we also ensure that we have a fully recyclable,
0:52:14 > 0:52:17reusable cup available for all our customers.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19We want to incentivise more people
0:52:19 > 0:52:23to bring in a reusable cup or tumbler.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26We offer currently a 25p discount,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29but we're going to increase that to 50p a cup,
0:52:29 > 0:52:34off any drink, providing you bring in a reusable mug or tumbler.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36- That's breaking news? - That is breaking news.- Today -
0:52:36 > 0:52:40you're announcing that you're going to go from 25p to 50p discount. Correct.
0:52:40 > 0:52:43It's something we want to make our customers more aware of,
0:52:43 > 0:52:45and we hope that your campaign will help do that.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48This is very good publicity for you, but good for the environment too
0:52:48 > 0:52:51so I'm not going to hold back from telling the world that,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54and I'd like to see other coffee companies following that lead.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- But, let's be realistic.- Mm.- You're still going to sell millions of coffees...
0:52:58 > 0:53:01- Absolutely right. - ..in cups like this.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03But there isn't a solution out there that is scalable.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06Because if there was, we'd all be adopting it.
0:53:06 > 0:53:07You know, we've got every intention
0:53:07 > 0:53:10to make our products as recyclable as possible.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13I've talked to some people who BELIEVE they have a solution,
0:53:13 > 0:53:16who believe they have a cup that's acceptable to the paper mills -
0:53:16 > 0:53:18have you ever tried road-testing cups like this?
0:53:18 > 0:53:21We would welcome any opportunity to trial and to test those.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24It's in our best interests to make that cup more recyclable.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26Well, it's in your best interests NOW
0:53:26 > 0:53:29because the public's talking about this and it's front page news.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32I can give you a commitment that this is something we will take seriously,
0:53:32 > 0:53:35and we are more than happy to share our progress on it with you.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38If Starbucks are going to up the discounts
0:53:38 > 0:53:43if you bring your own reusable cup from 25p per coffee to 50p,
0:53:43 > 0:53:45that should incentivise the public.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48But what I feel I'm still not hearing from Starbucks, or any other coffee company,
0:53:48 > 0:53:52is just how they're going to deal with this problem, and on what timescale.
0:53:52 > 0:53:5650 million cups last year, all chucked away, none recycled -
0:53:56 > 0:53:59how many is it going to be next year? Come on, Starbucks.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01And what about the other coffee giants?
0:54:01 > 0:54:06Well, Caffe Nero have stopped replying to my e-mails.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08But I have finally heard back
0:54:08 > 0:54:10from the UK's biggest coffee company, Costa,
0:54:10 > 0:54:14and they tell me that they've made some changes to their website.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16So let's have a look.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18One of the phrases that was getting my goat
0:54:18 > 0:54:20on the previous website was
0:54:20 > 0:54:25describing their cup as "one of the world's most environmentally friendly paper cups."
0:54:25 > 0:54:28That sentence has now gone. Which is good.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31It's official - Costa have NOT got
0:54:31 > 0:54:34"one of the world's most environmentally friendly paper cups."
0:54:34 > 0:54:38This billion-pound business have also told me that they're setting up
0:54:38 > 0:54:43a £100,000 research fund to continue to look into the problem.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Which is all well and good -
0:54:45 > 0:54:49but it doesn't mean that any more cups are actually being recycled.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53And the only way I think that's going to happen any time soon
0:54:53 > 0:54:56is if you, their customers, demand change.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59And to prove it, you only have to look at how far
0:54:59 > 0:55:02some other giant corporations have come
0:55:02 > 0:55:05since you got involved in the war on waste.
0:55:05 > 0:55:09Last year, you were as outraged as I was
0:55:09 > 0:55:12to see our supermarkets binning perfectly good food.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15And 300,000 of you challenged them
0:55:15 > 0:55:18to put an end to this madness.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Now, M&S and Tesco
0:55:20 > 0:55:24are rolling out smart new technology to all their stores
0:55:24 > 0:55:26as part of their daily stock check,
0:55:26 > 0:55:30to divert surplus food to people who really need it.
0:55:31 > 0:55:36Morrisons and the Co-op have both opened their doors to volunteers,
0:55:36 > 0:55:39who are giving unsold food to good causes.
0:55:39 > 0:55:43Like this school breakfast club in Leeds.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47Meanwhile, the UK's biggest food redistribution charity FareShare
0:55:47 > 0:55:53have told me that donations have gone up by an astonishing 60%.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57That's helping to feed an extra 50,000 people a week,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00with food that would otherwise have ended up in the bin.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04It's a fantastic achievement,
0:56:04 > 0:56:08and I think we can have a similar impact on the coffee companies.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10I know they're listening -
0:56:10 > 0:56:14because just days before this programme was due to air,
0:56:14 > 0:56:18the coffee giants seemed to be finally waking from their slumber.
0:56:19 > 0:56:22This is all a little bit surreal, because I'm now in the edit,
0:56:22 > 0:56:25putting the finishing touches to the film that you're actually watching.
0:56:25 > 0:56:28And look what's just come in, at the eleventh hour.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31The Paper Cup Manifesto.
0:56:31 > 0:56:32Interesting timing.
0:56:32 > 0:56:36"A partnership of business, recyclers, suppliers and the public,
0:56:36 > 0:56:41"to increase the recovery and recycling of paper cups."
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Now, that sounds like really good news.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46But what exactly have they signed up to do?
0:56:46 > 0:56:51"To ensure paper cups are designed, used, disposed of and collected"
0:56:51 > 0:56:55"to maximise the opportunities for recycling
0:56:55 > 0:56:59"by further investment and funding...by 2020"?
0:56:59 > 0:57:01That's a long way out.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04My concern about these bold announcements is that
0:57:04 > 0:57:08so often they're really more about defusing a PR disaster
0:57:08 > 0:57:11than they are about committing to real action.
0:57:11 > 0:57:12Look at the Starbucks example.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16They promised a fully recyclable cup by 2015.
0:57:16 > 0:57:182016 - still hasn't happened.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21They promised me, on camera,
0:57:21 > 0:57:23that they would offer a 50p discount
0:57:23 > 0:57:26for anyone who came into one of their stores
0:57:26 > 0:57:29with their own cup for their coffee. They did it.
0:57:29 > 0:57:30Three months later,
0:57:30 > 0:57:34it turned out to be a trial offer, and it's been withdrawn.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38If we want to see real change rather than just playing for time,
0:57:38 > 0:57:40I think it'll be because the coffee companies sense
0:57:40 > 0:57:42that the public demand that -
0:57:42 > 0:57:46they want to see a recycled cup, and they want to see it now.
0:57:46 > 0:57:50So I need your help. I really want YOU to get involved.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53Let's give them all a bit of a nudge, shall we?
0:57:53 > 0:57:56@StarbucksUK
0:57:56 > 0:57:59@CostaCoffee
0:57:59 > 0:58:03Not forgetting @CaffeNero US
0:58:03 > 0:58:04"Wake up and smell the waste.
0:58:04 > 0:58:10"We want cups that can actually be recycled NOW."
0:58:10 > 0:58:11#wastenot
0:58:11 > 0:58:15Because if enough of us keep on telling these big corporations
0:58:15 > 0:58:18that we won't stand for it any longer,
0:58:18 > 0:58:21then I believe we really can win
0:58:21 > 0:58:22the war on waste.