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GIVING PEOPLE A financial incentive to carry their own coffee cup could dramatically reduce the number of non-compostable cups being used.
Environmental scientist and broadcaster Dr Tara Shine, who spoke at a Repak (a not-for-profit recycling company which helps businesses) event this week, said those in the industry and government have a responsibility to promote recycling.
“Why can’t we reward people who use their own coffee cup, say by reducing the price of their coffee by 20 cent – that would be massive,” said Shine, who argued that the big coffee chains need to lead the way on such an initiative.
“If one of the big chains did it, the others would follow,” she said, adding that it would be great if all coffee shops rolled out the policy at the same time.
“We learned a lot from the plastic bag tax. At the time, people questioned if it would work or if it would have an impact. It worked. Now, we all carry a reusable shopping bag with us or keep them in the boot of our cars. Small economic penalties work,” she said.
Environment Minister Denis Naughten said he has spoken with coffee retailer Insomnia and fast-food restaurant Supermacs about reducing the use of disposable coffee cups in a bid to cut down on waste.
It is understood that Insomnia uses 15 million cups each year and is carrying out research into biodegradable cups.
Change of attitude needed
Shine said she believes their needs to be an attitudinal change among consumers too.
“I think it will have to become socially unacceptable to walk around with a coffee cup. At the moment it is cool to be seen with a coffee cup or plastic water bottle,” she said.
With the impending roll out of pay-by-weight bin charges, customers are going to have to be more aware about what they can put in their brown recycle bin, but Shine admits she too can be confused about “what you can recycle and what you can’t” when it comes to green bins in Ireland.
She said a simple, easily understood, message from all in industry would help people comply with waste regulations.
“I think most people really support recycling, but seven out of ten people put items in the wrong bin,” she said.
It would be beneficial if industry heads came together to roll out standardised guidelines regarding the recycling of waste, Shine argued.
“If there were uniform guidelines it would make it a lot easier for people to recycle,” she added.
In addition, she said companies need to stop producing products that are packaged in unnecessary plastics.
“There needs to be less packaging – the industry need to change – apples do not need to be on a polystyrene trays, wrapped in plastic,” she explained, adding that there are now new plastics available that are compostable.
Naughten said he is investigating how to reduce packaging at source so customers don’t bring it home in the first place, announcing that he would like large bins outside all supermarkets so that customers can dispose of their unwanted packaging before going home.
However, Shine said more needs to be done to stop the production of additional plastics, not just by aiding the disposal of it at supermarkets, but encouraging companies to stop producing it in the first place.
“We still don’t understand the impact plastics will have on people’s health in the future,” she said, adding that she believes it won’t really become a top priority for those in power until it becomes a public health matter.
“We don’t know how bad it is yet, plastics are ending up in fish or in the land,” which humans are consuming, she explained.
Shine said she would like to see a change of thinking, giving the example of someone buying an ice-cream.
“Eating your ice-cream takes four minutes, but it could take nearly 600 years for the plastic cup it is in to break down – it just doesn’t make sense,” said Shine.
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Very simple solution. Make it compulsory for all disposable food drink packaging be made from compostable material
@Leitrim303: I would be interested to find out the environmental impact of disposable cups vs the environmental impact of the hot water and detergent needed to clean re-usable cup. Also the impact of the process to manufacture both types of cup. I have googled but it seems nobody has fully researched it and can provide a definitive answer on which is ultimately better for the planet.
@Mary Murphy: I just cant imagine many people bringing there own cup to a coffee shop. people have too much going on
@Leitrim303: Sad to see that, so much going on in a persons life and no time to rinse or carry a re-usable?
@Stephen murphy: where are you to carry it between cups
@Stephen murphy: but is it really beneficial to rinse and re-use?
@Mary Murphy: I understood customers would use their own cups..presumably reusable. It might be necessary to research hygiene standards for safety issues, one man’s clean cup might be another’s hygiene nightmare. Staff would have to handle such cups, I would not be in favour of customer’s own…just supply compostable cups and be done with it..
This is just prejudice against the cupless. Those elitist cup owners get all the breaks.
@Arnold Lane: Diesel fumes have gone to their heads, be kind.
Yeah maybe bring water and coffee you can have it for nothing
@Braonain Proinseas: no
@Braonain Proinseas: if you take it into your cupped bare hands you’ll get a bigger discount.
@Greg Blake: it would be interesting when you get to the till and have to take your wallet out…
I’ve a 12 volt travel kettle in the car runs off the cigarette lighter. Best thing ever on a long journey save a fortune on garage coffees. Or maybe I’m being excessively tight Lol
@Jonathan Power: There is no such thing as excessively tight.
@Jonathan Power: I know a man who had a kettle like that. And a scar on his neck and ear from scalding water. Make sure it’s empty before you drive.
@Jonathan Power: good idea, what kind of cups do you re-use during the journet
@helen walsh: The one I have comes with a set of plastic cups Helen and keep a 2 litre of water in the boot and sachets of tea and coffee with the UHT milk jiggers so don’t need fresh milk.
What the Government should firstly start with is making all coffee shops have recyclable cup or only plastic that can be recycled, did you know that most of them don’t have this. It would be a good place to start as most coffee cups have waterproof lining so they cannot be recycled. Get the government to enforce a rule here to help the environment and while they are at it perhaps discuss the increase in airplanes over the years that are burning fuel that is impacting to climate change….
@Jason Mulligan: Recycling is not the great solution it is made out to be. WAY too much packaging and containers readily available and company using them can labelled as “responsible” because they use recyclable material.
@Jason Mulligan: that wood be a great start. Only thing here in Ireland the Hotels an Pubs wood have to charge the customer a few cent more lets see may be to cover insurance . Watch this space . Lol
@John Scott: we get it use wood, it is a great renewable resource.
@John Scott: would you plank
@Jason Mulligan: 3 boy coffee I Fermoy have compostable cups also theids can be composted. This is what the government should be doing, forcing the suppliers to use compostable cups.
£2 in Greggs for a travel mug with a free coffee. No excuse for not having one.
@⚡ Seánie ⚡: maybe the cuts of getting to Gregs.
@⚡ Seánie ⚡: where’s greggs?
@⚡ Seánie ⚡:
I have one Seanie but I keep forgetting to take it out of the car. It’s now acting as a nursery for some blue and green alien mold algae substance unknown to science.
@Tweed Cap: Eh , it’s known to science alright , and Porton Down will be sending some people over to pick it up .
@Jamie: Must be in the UK or NI if he’s paying 2 STG? Good price though, I saw coffee travel mugs in a local Spar for about 8 Euro.
I would be the first to criticise Starbucks for the extremely low rate of tax they pay in Ireland. So I must also point out that Starbucks lead the way with recycling initiatives and already have a 30 cent discount in place for customers who bring their own cup. https://www.starbucks.ie/responsibility/environment/recycling
@Sean: hope the cups are clean and the customers have washed their hands
Why not just have a trough in the middle of the shop and everyone can bring their own straws. I’m not going to carry a travel mug around with me just in case i decide to pop in for a coffee on a given day. Fair play to those who do but my pockets just aren’t big enough.
@Dj: If you get the urge to pop in for a coffee, you can sit down and drink it from a ceramic cup! But, i get what you’re saying. It won’t completely stop the use of disposable cups, but the idea could significantly reduce waste. However what will happen is that you won’t get a 20c reduction, rather you’ll have to pay 20c more for a paper cup
If this happens I will bring my own disposable paper cups from home every day.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: why? You’d have to keep buying them instead of just buying one reusable cup.
@Dave O Keeffe: Purely out of spite. Its an ugly emotion, I know, but I’m human.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: Usually though, I make coffee at home and put in a paper cup if we’re going out in the car.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: LOL, like your thinking Neal. F the world, the next generation is obnoxious anyway.
You could stick your fingers up even more by disposing of a ceramic cup every day, or maybe buying extra coffees that you don’t even drink. Hang on, gotta go, I think I might have left the immersion off by mistake.
@Neal Ireland Hello.: yeah why put it in a travel mug that keeps it warm. Why be sensible when you can be stupid.
@Mick Power: Wow, the name-calling has already started. I’ve just read that one person feels that using non-compostable cups should be “socially unacceptable” – straight away, someone leaps on that bandwagon.
Latest news just in coffee up by 30 cent.
Makes sense seeing that they want to introduce a sugar tax !! But can’t see them doing anything that would be of advantage to us.
Check out the Facebook page Loveyourcup we got every business in Ennistymon , co. Clare to commit to 30 cent off if people bring their own cup. I also supplied them with branded organic bamboo cups they could sell to those who don’t own a good non disposable cup. Anyway we launched over two weeks ago all businesses are delighted with the response. The town has sold out of cups and its now the norm to have your own cup getting coffee to go and places all over ireland on to me about wanting to join in..
Many places in USA only charge for a small coffee when you have your own cup. Regardless, a discount is appropriate.
What the Government should firstly start with is making all coffee shops have recyclable cup or only plastic that can be recycled, did you know that most of them don’t have this. It would be a good place to start as most coffee cups have waterproof lining so they cannot be recycled. Get the government to enforce a rule here to help the environment and while they are at it perhaps discuss the increase in airplanes over the years that are burning fuel that is impacting to climate change….
@Jason Mulligan: Heard you the first time.
Coffee is very expensive in Applegreen darn nearly 3 Euros. The kettle is great on a long journey if you need a break and your not near a garage. I’d always have a few chocolate bars and biscuits in the boot.
@Jonathan Power: darn wrong button I was replying to Ron above.
@Jonathan Power: fair play, completely irrelevant comment
I did this on my first drive from New York to Los Angeles. I used the same cup for about 90 McDonalds. Another day, another free coffee. Nothing to do with recycling…
A good idea.
@Paddy Hayden: just rinse it out in the bathroom sink, no big deal :) People get too excited about germs these days…It’s already a thing in many cafés so I don’t see the issue?
@Conor Robinson: I just rinse mine out. Use boiling water if you’re worried about germs. Fair point though if you can’t access any until you’ve bought a coffee.
Why do people ask for a takeaway cup when they’re sitting in a cafe? Don’t get it but it seems to be a trend
@Barra O Brien: IDK, maybe they reuse it? Hang on, I did that when I was a student, brought it home to use on the way in the next day. Eventually grew seeds in it.
Norway gas stations have the right idea buy one cup at the start of the year for 25 euro approx and free coffee for the year in that brand of gas station… good for business good for environment..
I like the idea of having your own coffee cup , but what about hygiene , not every cup is going to get a clean in between refills , will the coffee shops be responsible for cleaning the cup in case it has germs on it ?
@Paddy Hayden: No. It’s your cup, your mould, your responsibility
@Anne Marie Devlin: It’s not going to happen though if the person is out and about with no access to warm water to clean the cup .
I’m just saying that the idea is nice , but there would be hygienic reasons against it .
@Paddy Hayden: normally plenty of hot water to give it a rinse at coffee machine.
It’s 35cent in Starbucks off if you bring your own. Most of the big coffee stores already do.
@Patrick Mooney: Starbucks, would take it if the coffee was free and the cups magically turned into orchids when emptied. It’s muck.
@Greg Blake: *wouldn’t take it* sorry.
Is anyone else puzzled by Shine’s attitude? The headline reads that she feels that people should be rewarded for using their own cups…
But then she calls for people who get a takeaway cup to be treated as “socially unacceptable”. Apart from the intolerance of this, is that not anti-social? Will she approve if she can urge other people to stick their tongue out at fellow coffee drinkers? Does she want to see an Ireland of sneering, jeering people, judging each other? Does she really walk around making faces at people who are drinking coffee on the go out of cups that she hasn’t personally approved? Does she encourage others to make noises at other people? Farting sounds? Hisses?
Starbucks in Dundrum Town Centre give a 30c discount if you bring you own cup.
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