The trend toward reusable coffee cups is on the rise with cafes sweetening the deal by offering discounts to encourage the practice.
Bringing your own cup could save coffee lovers 50 cents at some cafes but it also helps protect the environment, according to environmental group Planet Ark.
It estimated about 60,000 kilograms of plastic waste from coffee cups was directed to landfill each year in Australia, where it could take about 50 years to break down.
While the plastic membrane made the paper cups waterproof, they are not recyclable or biodegradable. So waste-conscious coffee consumers are taking a stand by investing in reusable, bring-your-own coffee cups. And a new cafe culture is thriving as a result.
A growing number of cafes are joining the Responsible Cafes movement, an organisation that encourages restaurants and coffee shops to discount the cost of hot drinks for customers who bring their own reusable cup.
In Parramatta alone, 18 businesses have become Responsible Café members, joining about 3600 cafes across the country.
“The movement is a win-win for everybody. Coffee drinkers save money, our local cafés cut down on disposable cups, and as a city we generate less waste which is better for our environment,” Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson said.
Coffee lover John Cafferatta has gone one step further. The owner of Darcy Street Project in the heart of Parramatta has been offering discounts to consumers who bring their own cup since he opened the social enterprise café in 2015.
But now he’s looking to convert Darcy Street into a disposable cup and plastic lid free café by encouraging the community to donate reusable mugs. And he wants other cafes to follow his lead.
“People default to what the norm is but you can become an example and show others what is possible. We’re walking the walk, not just talking about it and hopefully that will inspire future café business owners to rethink their practices,” Mr Cafferatta said.
A former TAFE educator, Mr Cafferatta trains Indigenous people, refugees, the homeless and mature aged workers to become baristas and has helped 1000 students gain employment. His café also has a pay-it-forward system where customers pay for an extra coffee for someone who can’t afford it.
“It’s a nice way to have different types of groups in the community come together without any stigma,” he said. “The cool thing about social enterprise is that it creates a nice point of difference to your competitors.”
The concept is working so well that Mr Cafferatta will soon open a similar café in Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall.
“It’s important in business to be able to stand up to any competition and Parramatta is very cut-throat with its café culture,” he said.
Jamaica Blue, which has more than 100 cafes across Australia, also rewards patrons who bring their own cup in store with a 50 cent discount per cup. The cafes also sell its own brand of KeepCups which are made from a recyclable thermoplastic.
Find your nearest Responsible Café at
Darcy Street Project is in the City Centre Carpark, Parramatta. To make a donation or find out more:
