No More Free Coffee

No More Free Coffee

…Unless you bring your own reusable cup.

Waitrose customers have long enjoyed a free hot drink as part of their food shopping experience. This has been a popular perk, but things are about to change. In a bid to take a more environmentally responsible stance, Waitrose has announced that it will stop providing disposable cups.

East Anglian shoppers will be the first to adapt, with stores in Ipswich, Newmarket and Norwich amongst those set for change this month. The aim is for all stores to be disposable cup free by the autumn.

The self-service coffee machines will still be in operation, but customers will need to bring their own reusable cup to the supermarket. It might take a bit of getting used to, much like remembering to take bags, but Waitrose states that this could save 52 million cups per year from heading to landfill.

Just think of the difference it could make if we used our own mugs, rather than disposable cups, for every take away hot drink…

Chiltern Railways on Track with Recycling

Another company that is leading the way in reducing coffee cup waste is Chiltern Railways. The rail operator has teamed up with Simply Cups, the UKs only cup recycling company, to instigate change.

Marylebone Station will be the first location for Simply Cup bins and collections. The public will have to play their part, by separating the lid, liquid and cup into different sections of the bin. This is the only way to optimise the recycling opportunities and make the scheme effective.

Simply Cups will transform properly disposed cups into a range of other items.

Moving out of London, the phased roll out of the Simply Cups initiative will reach every station on the Chiltern Railway line, including Aylesbury Station.

Chiltern Railways has invested in the scheme as part of their commitment to address environmental issues. As the first rail operator to tackle coffee cup recycling, they hope that success will prompt others to follow suit.

Paper Cup Recycling

As mentioned above, Simply Cups offers the only disposable cup recycling facilities in the UK. They currently process around 7 million cups. That sounds impressive, until you realise that this only represents a single day of disposable cup waste.

Many companies are investing in the development of biodegradable, waterproof paper cup linings. When available, they may offer part of the solution. Better still is to reduce the need for disposable cups. Use your favourite mug, or sit down and enjoy your coffee in the café, where it will be served in a ceramic mug.