Ecosurety champions ambitious Borrow Cup scheme in Glasgow

Ecosurety is a proud funding partner of Hubbub’s ‘Borrow Cup’ campaign for drinks on-the-go.

Launching on 27 January, this ambitious returnable cup initiative in Glasgow, unites major brands, independent cafés, and reuse start-up Reposit to tackle the environmental challenge of disposable cups.

Brands like Costa, Caffé Nero, and Burger King have joined forces with local cafes, including Tinderbox, Sprigg, Plant Blonde, Kelvingrove Gallery and Glasgow City Chambers to introduce a shared system that allows customers to borrow and return reusable cups from any participating location, eliminating the need for single-use alternatives.

Tackling Scotland’s disposable cup problem

Over 388 million disposable cups are used annually in Scotland. In Glasgow alone, single-use cups account for more than 30% of on-street drinks waste. While personal reusable cups are an option, they’re often left at home or considered inconvenient to carry.

The Borrow Cup system solves this issue by offering an easy-to-use borrowing and returning mechanism across cafes, bars, and restaurants.

A convenient and seamless experience

The Borrow Cup campaign is designed with the customer in mind, with no apps or sign-ups required. Customers can easily borrow and return cups without the hassle of creating accounts or downloading software.

The reusable cups also provide better functionality and design compared to disposable ones, enhancing the drinking experience.

How does it work?

The initiative aims to show how collaboration can boost the success of returnable cup schemes. The project also seeks to demonstrate how such systems can achieve environmental, operational, and commercial sustainability.

A lower environmental impact

When done right, a returnable cup system has a smaller environmental footprint compared to single-use alternatives. The production and disposal of disposable cups generate significant carbon emissions, which can be reduced by reusing cups multiple times.

“We're so pleased to be funding this initiative, which builds on the work we started in Bristol a few years ago. Since then, we have invested in a dedicated team to work on the huge challenge of introducing reuse into the UK at scale. So much is known about on-the-go drink consumption behaviours, whether it be the need for returnable or bring-your-own solutions. We believe that the use of disposable cups should now be a marginal activity for the people of Glasgow.”

Robbie Staniforth

Director of Innovation and Policy, Ecosurety