Single-use coffee cups are one of the greatest pollutants in our community with Australian’s consuming 2.7 million takeaway coffee cups every single day.
Sadly, single-use cups cannot be recycled or commercially composted in Noosa as yet, resulting in millions of coffee cups going straight to landfill, taking over 1 million years to decompose. It’s time to make a change and play our part.
Plastic Free Noosa has recently launched their Choose to Reuse campaign in the lead up to Plastic Free July.
The purpose of this initiative is to help and inspire local businesses and individuals facing waste challenges to reduce the use of takeaway coffee cups and choose to reuse.
Peregian Beach cafes have already taken the first step to eliminating single-use coffee cups and are encouraging reusables for Plastic Free July. Pottery For The Planet are generously donating some of their handmade, ceramic takeaway coffee cups to stock their mug libraries at participating cafes.
Here are some strategies for both businesses and individuals to instill to reduce the use of takeaway coffee cups in Noosa and limit our footprint on our planet:
– Mug libraries: The classic mug library is an eclectic mix of mugs, cups or jars that people can borrow and return or keep instead of only using it once.
– Price increases: Consider adding a surcharge to coffees sold in single-use coffee cups, like supermarkets are doing for bags. If a customer forgets their reusable coffee cup, they will need to pay a 50 cent surcharge – 25 cents for the cup and 25 cents for the planet. Research has shown that the use of surcharges encourages the uptake of reusables quicker than giving discounts for those who BYO.
– Dining in: Stay a little longer. Soak up the atmosphere of your local cafe and take a moment to slow down and enjoy your coffee with zero waste.
– Make it part of your social strategy: Use social media as a tool to remind your community to remember their reusables or to return their borrowed mugs. Promote this through staff, your friends and family, your regulars, social media, local council, and the Plastic Free Noosa Facebook page.
Encourage the use of #Choose to Reuse to spread the word even further than just Noosa.
Bring your own: Another great idea is to bring your own reusable coffee cup.
It’s time to play our part. Let’s make Noosa the first Aussie town to eliminate takeaway coffee cups.
Go out and support your local businesses and don’t forget to Choose to Reuse.
For more information head to plasticfreenoosa.org/choose-to-reuse
