coffee cup waste

[Joseph Nicholls]

Hi,
Anyone keen to share campaign ideas for targeting throw-away coffee cups: with aim to help raise awareness of broader convenience based wastage? I think wellington would be a good starting point as we have such a thriving coffee culture. Thinking of a "one less cup" initiative with support and signage at cafes?

Joseph

[Kera O'Regan]

Hey!
I take my own coffee cup when I need it to go. Also, I don't really eat take aways but I once took a reusable container to Mc Donalds to prove a point to a friend and they let me have my fries in that. My local french cafe don't have a problem with me taking my own cup alternatively you can use those cups and if you wash them carefully you can use them 3 or 4 times before you have to get rid of them. I made a facebook group called BYO and have quite a bit of support if anyone wants to join and promote taking own containers to takeaways (not just for coffee) :)

[Marino]

coffee on the go is pretty firm in our culture so i think the campaign would have to be around that. i try to take my own takeaway coffee cup with me but i often forget and end up getting one of the cafes plastic/paper cups.

perhaps the campaign should focus on BYO mug system. for me i think another incentive is when cafes offer a discount (even as little as 20-50 cents) when you bring your own takeaway cup.

[Joseph Nicholls]

yes indeed, back to the original concern, modern expectation of disposable convenience and how to demonstrate the negative implications. What about a 20c extra charge for coffee in disposable takeaway cups? They cost the cafe 28c each anyway, and they add up a big load of imported resource in landfills. Why should they be absolutely free?

Also a potential for discounting byo mugs, but i have spoken to baristas who do not like to encourage the byo mugs because of hygiene.

[Marino]

extra charge for takeaway is a good idea. I've seen that done before with food at restaurants/cafes. why not for coffee as well. would certainly encourage people to sit down and drink their coffee.

though from my own perspective and I think it's common that most people like to get coffee on the run and might not mind paying the extra anyway. (i.e. busy professionals). But it could still work. trial on a case by case maybe.

[Marino]

it worked for the bag tax at supermarkets too - until Foodstuffs decided to take it off.

[Joseph Nicholls]

Hey, yes and finally we have purpose designed re-usable takeaway coffee cups in Wellington and they are available thanks to Milk Crate Cafe on Ghuznee st. Get on down there and buy your own one, parade it around town and encourage other coffee outlets as well.
If anyone is in journalism please consider rewarding this cause and the photogenic team at Milk Crate with some quality media attention.

[Jessica Zanetti]

Check out http://sustainabilityissexy.com/facts.html

[Isabella Cawthorn]

@Joe - where did the 28c figure come from? i've had lower figures quoted at me as the reason for the extra effort of managing reused cups (see below) not being worth a barista's time.

The "hygiene" argument from baristas is a rather feeble excuse - a customer bringing in their own cup is responsible for their own hygiene! As long as the barista doesn't accidentally swap your cup for one of their stock of clean ones - and this requires a bit of machine-side administration that can be a hassle when you're doing five coffees a minute - there's no hygiene issue for anyone except you the BYOer.

I took a recycled cup in to the little unnamed coffee house next door to Daniel's Fine Foods (opposite Treasury, at the foot of the Terace) and was harangued by an aggressive, arrogant, obstructive barista who tried to make out that he was doing me an enormous favour by "just this once" letting me use such a cup.

All the arguments were so unreasonable and his customer service so utterly appaling I would've been tempted to give the benefit of the doubt for unusual aggression and general mental instability caused by an attack of PMT... but the barista is a guy. No excuses!

I think I'm going to launch a boycott.

Green Land in Kate Sheppard Place discount you 50c for BYOing a cup, and their chocolate brownie is the best I've found north of Fidel's.

[Joseph Nicholls]

Hi Isabella,
28c figure estimated during discussion with owner of wgtn leading roastery. I agree the hygiene line is feeble, the barista who mentioned that was scared to touch a cup that he did not know where it has been, so then have to wash his hands before serving next customers cup...?! illogical germ paranoia due to decades of TV adverts selling unnecessary domestic chemical cleaning sterilizing products. Also he moaned about byo cup people using bigger cup to so as to try and get more beverage for their buck. Again and shamefully, kiwi culture encourages one to capitalize on any such loopholes and celebrate their cunning as resourseful genius. perhaps this has peeved your barista ? anyhow i am keen to support your boycott or any other action down their at the business end of town: less disposable convenience and waste awareness!

[Angela]

I always ask for 'No Lid'. At first your local barista will insist, but eventually they will remember and hand your coffee or hot chocolate over sans lid. My favourite guy on Albert Street even walks my coffee out to me to say hello. I walk fast, but don't spill, and must saved hundreds of lids every year. Disadvantages: I don't get a discount for refusing the lid but the personal satisfaction makes up for that; there is potential to spill, espcialially with a large handbag to control; I don't get the pebbles or brownies cafes pop on top of your lid as you leave.

[Joseph Nicholls]

i hear Peoples coffee are now acknowledging the worth of takeaway cup as resource/waste and charging extra for takeaway coffees in disposable cup??? If so, well done to Peoples. I will be keen to see this spread to other cafes

[Joseph Nicholls]

Another small success: Coffee Supreme are also soon to be offering a re-usable option for the take-away customer. Seems the campaign first considered above could in fact be lead from within the coffee industry. The next step will be to have throw-away cups cost the customer extra money, encouraging consumers to take responsibly for environmental costs of wasteful behavior.