CHILTERN Railways has announced that it will be the first train operator to recycle coffee cups at stations.

Currently just one in 400 disposable cups used each year is recycled.

Chiltern, which runs the line between Oxford and Marylebone, will work in partnership with Simply Cups.

The scheme will see the installation of special bins at stations to encourage customers to segregate their coffee cup waste into three different categories – lids, liquids and cups.

Waste will be taken to a specialist recycling centre and turned into functional new products like pens and notepads, which Chiltern plans to incorporate into its branded merchandise.

Alan Riley, customer services director for Chiltern Railways, said: “With the knowledge that over 2.5 billion paper cups are making their way into landfills and incineration each year, we feel it is important to play our part.

“We are creating a new template for the rail industry and providing our customers with a way to reduce their plastic waste.

“This scheme is unprecedented at stations and we’re proud to be championing it on behalf of our customers and generations to come”.

Peter Goodwin, co-founder of Simply Cups, said: “What was once problematic waste will become a valuable raw material for our recycled products.”