Wellington cafes angered after city stops taking compostable cups

Wellington's composting facility has stopped taking compostable cups, which has angered companies like Mojo who say they're trying to do the right thing.

However, composting a coffee cup isn't as simple as some might think - sparking renewed calls to phase out takeaway cups altogether.

"These cups are not very good for the environment and there's an easy alternative: sit down at the cafe or just bring your keep cup," Wellington Councillor Iona Pannett told 1 NEWS.

Companies like Mojo, which have invested in a system of composting their cups, aren't happy with Capital Compost's decision to stop accepting the cups.

"That was a complete surprise to us, it has been a difficult process from the start," Mojo NZ General Manager Katy Ellis says.

The facility could compost the cups, but it's complicated.

They'd need to run a second stream alongside the organic compost, they'd need no contamination and around 200,000 of the cups a month.

Currently Capital Compost say they're only receiving around 100 cups a day.

Mojo is now looking to other businesses in the capital to find a solution.