Reusable cup scheme saves 30,000 drinks holders from being thrown away in Shrewsbury
An environmentally friendly drinks company has saved 30,000 single use cups from being thrown away.
Shrewsbury Cup, the reusable deposit scheme for takeaway cups, reached the green feat in its first 10 months.
Launched in April 2019, the initiative is one of only a handful in the UK which sees hot and cold drinks cups available in cafes across a town.
Customers pay a £1 deposit for a Shrewsbury Cup, enjoy their drink and then return the cup to any participating café to get their £1 back. The cups are then washed ready to be used again.
The scheme continues to attract the interest of local businesses. New members include cafes and restaurants Palmers, Colonel’s Son and The Olive Tree bringing the number of members to 25. To encourage even more members to sign up and recognising the pressure on the hospitality sector, the organisers have waived the fee to join making it free to any café or restaurant.
Co-founder of the scheme, Sophie Peach, said: “We recognise that our local businesses have had an impossibly tough year so far, with flooding in February and the onset of lockdown in March – so in a gesture to support our cafes we suspended the monthly charge to join the Shrewsbury Cup scheme – so right now it’s free to join and we welcome anyone who is selling takeout drinks to get in touch if they would like to offer a zero waste option to their customers.”
In response to hygiene concerns over the pandemic, Shrewsbury Cup states 120 scientists from around the world have come to the same conclusion – reusable cups are safe to use as long as they are washed properly – the same advice given by the UK Food Standards Agency.
Sophie and Ali have been working with cafes to set up Covid-19 safe systems in-house. When customers return a cup to a café, it is dropped in a bucket before they receive their £1 back – or another coffee in a fresh cup.
