The ‘Cardiff Refill Return Cup’ initiative launches on Friday 4 October 2024, allowing customers to ‘borrow’ a reusable cup from a participating café and return it later to be washed and reused.
The scheme aims to reduce single-use cup waste and tackle the staggering 2.5 billion single-use coffee cups used annually in the UK. The scheme will run as a pilot until March 2025, saving a potential 30,000 single use cups from entering the waste stream in Cardiff.
To celebrate the launch on Friday, participating businesses are offering one free coffee to the first 50 users of the scheme.
An easy step to tackle single-use waste
This scheme has been brought to life by FOR Cardiff in collaboration with City To Sea with support from £90,000 in funding from the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.
City to Sea’s CEO, Jane Martin, commented:
“Tea and coffee drinkers in Cardiff – enjoy your favourite brew, support local independent cafes AND prevent plastic pollution! Choosing the Refill Return Cup is an easy step to tackle single-use waste in the city, plus with the Refill app you can find places to refill your water bottle and shop without the pointless packaging.’
The process is simple: customers download the Refill app, scan a QR code to borrow a reusable cup and return it to any participating location within two weeks – with no charge. The app provides reminders and makes it easy for users to find the nearest pick-up or drop-off point, and customers are only charged a fee if the cup is not returned within 2 weeks.”
Building on success
The Refill Return Cup Scheme was first launched in Bristol in June 2023, also run by City to Sea and funded by the Ecosurety Exploration Fund. In November 2023, City to Sea and reusable brand Circular&Co produced a blueprint to set up and run a successful returnable cup scheme: 'The future is returnable – taking a circular approach to hot drinks’ report.
It's fantastic to see Cardiff join the refill movement, offering a sustainable alternative to disposable coffee cups. We hope this momentum continues in more cities and look forward to seeing more of these schemes rolled out across the UK, helping to promote reuse and to reduce single-use waste.
Find out more about the launch in Cardiff and what businesses are participating in the scheme.
