Taupō District Council is partnering with a local business to tackle the increasing problem of disposable coffee cups going to landfill.
The team at creative agency ninetyblack in Taupō has designed a reusable coffee cup which will mean some of the eight tonnes of disposable cups that end up in landfills across New Zealand each day will be reduced. Customers at selected Taupō cafes pay a $2 deposit for the cup, and once it has been used they can either bring it back to any participating café for a refund of their deposit, or hand the dirty cup in and get another coffee in a fresh cup.
The council’s environmental portfolio holder councillor John Williamson said it made sense for the council to support the waste reduction initiative.
“This is a huge step toward waste minimisation in our district and an initiative we can be proud of,” he said. “After winning the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Large Town Award this year, we’re keen to show the rest of New Zealand that we’re leading the way.”
The council was supporting the initiative with a $7500 investment for the production of the cups from its waste minimisation budget.
“Council is pleased to collaborate with local community groups and businesses such as ninetyblack,” Mr Williamson said.
General manager of ninetyblack Jo Lee said what she liked about the deposit system was that there was no big financial commitment for the customer, unlike if they had to buy their own reusable cup.
“The cups are lightweight, so it still feels like a takeaway coffee experience. It’s an easy buy in – you don’t have to wash your cup or get locked into buying your coffee from the same café,” she said.
The pilot phase of the initiative will begin today. The aim was to eventually encourage all cafes in the district to participate. The cups were tested for up to 1000 uses and washes and were BPA free and 100 per cent recyclable – which ninetyblack will take responsibility for when they reach their end of life.
Cafes involved in the pilot phase of the initiative are: Café Ninety Nine, Spoon & Paddle, Victoria’s Café Kitchen Bar, Constables Kitchen on Miro, Fast & Fresh Bakery Café, Industrie French Kitchen, Raw Balance and The Cozy Corner – but it’s not too late to sign up, so visit onecup.nz to learn more.