How to Get it Done! Release yourself from Single-use throwaways!
Our society is ready for change. This one is for you coffee slingers!
When it comes to making a positive change for our local communities and our wider world, the good news is it is easier than ever to do your bit as a coffee retailer! Alternatives to the dreaded takeaway cup do exist. Thankfully the use of ‘keep cups’ has increased massively. If you own, manage or work in a coffee dispensary here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Talk it through with your staff
Their engagement is key. Talk together about how you all feel and reassure them that they will be supported moving forward.
Line up your alternatives
This is key. It’s like parenting (as is much of hospo right?)! It is always best to anticipate the objections you may face and line up solutions before they come up. Do your research on how to transition away from throwaway culture to ensure the switch is smooth sailing. That could look like a mug library, a reuse system or giving your keep cup users a bonus for getting on board.
Engage with your customers
Talk to your locals and regulars. Use your social media (if you have it) and posters to prepare your customers. There are free downloads on the UYO website via the ‘SIGNS CAMPAIGNS GUIDES’ button that you are welcome to take, edit or use as inspiration.
Talk it through with your coffee supplier
Coffee roasters are happy not to have their branding on single-use rubbish as they clog up rubbish bins or are littered on the street. Run your ideas past them. Some are more progressive than others and may have ways to support you in regard to supplying reusables for retailing or to loan you cups as you move forward. And the next time you order single-use cups (it won’t be forever right?) request that they are plain, unbranded. This will remove the temptation to your staff, and your customers, to promote throwaway culture on social media.
ACCESSIBILITY
It is paramount that if a system is to be considered a success it must be accessible to all. Some members of our communities require a cup with a lid to drink from safely and they may not have their own. This is where your roaster could assist by providing a handful of branded reusables for in-house use only. It is important for these to be offered to customers that may need one, instead of regular dine in cups. Ensure your staff are educated about how to have this conversation in a sensitive manner. It is important to be mindful of the disability community as we pursue our zero-waste future.
RETAIL
UYO’s ‘Single Use Free Cafe’s Report’ indicates that the purchase of keep cups is on the rise. People are keen to get amongst! So it is a good idea to stock more than one reusable cup brand. It is important to cater to differing budgets, as well as aesthetic preferences and needs. Sounds shallow, but we humans like owning objects. Having a cup that we enjoy the sight and feel of will make us more likely to remember to bring it, and to treat it well. One good cup is all we need. And each time they are used, they save you 15 -25c!
COSTS YOU NOTHING
Some cafes sell reusable cups at a cost price. They do this to really encourage customer stewardship, minimising pressure to provide alternatives. If you have a social media page for your cafe, include a line in your bio that indicates your cafe’s support of reusable cups and containers e.g. “We love your keep cups! Bring us your clean reusables”!
MAKES YOU MONEY
Of course, if you sell at RRP you are making money, as well as now not losing it on throwaway packaging. We have a selection of mainstream brands and artisan made cups in the UYO website ‘FIND GOOD STUFF’ section. We are happy to talk you through the pros and cons of each brand. Stocking cups made locally by potters is a sweet second option. Supporting local artists and making a real connection within your community. This option also means you are able to sell the lids (invariably silicon) separate from the cups... And if you create a local economy of reusables, everyone’s the better!
CREATES CHANGE FOR THE LONG TERM
You could even go so far as to participate in a reuse system like Again Again, Cup cycling, Swappa cup, or Reusabowl if you have takeaways too. We love reuse systems and believe they are the way of the future for Hospo and sustainability. The faster we get these systems in the mainstream the sooner we can eliminate the need for single use anythings!
Let’s get Reusable!!
#ReuseIsTheNewBlack
Stay tuned for more information on how to transition away from throwaway culture and embrace our zero-waste future.
If you want to support the reuse system here in Ōtepoti check out our ReWash Truck and support us to create this for Dunedin too.
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