THE UK’s first-ever returnable cup initiative between multiple national brands is set to launch in Glasgow today.
The scheme aims to help address issues associated with the 388 million disposable cups used in Scotland each year.
Major retailers including Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and Burger King UK are joining forces to participate in ‘Borrow Cup’, a project set up by environmental charity Hubbub and reuse start-up Reposit.
Several local cafes, including Tinderbox, Sprigg, Kelvingrove Museum and Glasgow City Chambers are also part of the initiative, which aims to expand further across the UK in future depending on the success of an initial three-month period.
Customers purchasing a drink at any participating store will be given the option to use a ‘Borrow Cup’ for a £1 deposit and will receive a discount or extra loyalty rewards at most participating locations. Cups are available in three different sizes, and customers can return them at any participating venue to either use again, swap for a clean cup for their next drink, get their deposit back at the till, or a £1 voucher at a return point.
Borrow Cup aims to test whether providing a reusable option at source and making it more convenient for customers by providing a dense network of return points, results in fewer disposable cups being used.
To date, returnable cup initiatives are said to have ‘generally failed to progress’ due to trials being too small-scale; cumbersome user experiences deterring engagement; and a lack of data-led traceability and measurement limiting further development.
By getting major brands and local cafes on board and creating a high concentration of return points in the busiest areas of Glasgow, Borrow Cup aims to create a simpler user journey and ‘robust’ tracking and measurement to help determine how the system can become environmentally and financially viable.
Gavin Ellis, co-founder at Hubbub, said, “Despite most people owning a reusable cup, they are generally left at home so it’s crucial we consider other ways to make reuse more accessible. We’ve taken learnings from other trials and created a pioneering shared system that makes it really simple for people to choose a reusable cup at point of sale.
“Disposable cups make up 30% of the drinks waste in Glasgow’s on-street bins so we are delighted to partner with over 50 locations including some major brands and hope this trial will shift habits and help to make reusable cups the norm. We want to demonstrate how a collaborative model can improve the success of returnable cups, and understand how it can become environmentally, commercially and operationally viable. If successful, we are optimistic that this approach can be rolled out further across the UK.”
Scotland’s acting cabinet secretary for net zero and energy, Gillian Martin said, “Single-use cups create over 5,400 tonnes of waste in Scotland every year and initiatives like Borrow Cup are vital for driving change and reducing waste. By encouraging the use of returnable and reusable cups, this project demonstrates the power of collaboration between major brands, independent businesses, and innovative organisations like Hubbub and Reposit. While we continue to investigate waste reduction policies, including analysing consultation responses on proposals for a minimum charge on single-use beverage cups, voluntary efforts such as this play a critical role in reducing waste, protecting our environment, and supporting Scotland’s journey toward a circular economy.”
Hubbub is working with Carbon Bright to assess the environmental impact of Borrow Cup and then aims to expand the project further based on the success of the first three months.
The project has been funded by the participating brands (Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and Burger King UK) along with Ecosurety, Bunzl, British Plastics Federation and KFC. Industry partners have also supported the project, with the cups provided by Berry, washing equipment provided by Electrolux, RFID scanning technology from Avery Dennison, plus project support from Keep Scotland Beautiful and Biffa.
