Support Corporate Sustainability Goals with Reusable Coffee Cups
As Australia prepares to comply with the continued roll-out of the Single Use Plastic Ban, it’s worth considering whether to incorporate reusable packaging into your business model and how. A commitment to sustainability is becoming increasingly essential for businesses. Reducing waste and minimising the environmental impact of daily operations is becoming an increasingly large part of business goals in Australia. Corporate sustainability goals are becoming increasingly common for Australian Businesses. One practical and easy way to achieve a more sustainable workplace is by switching from disposable to reusable coffee cups.
Using reusable packaging, such as reusable coffee cups, has immense environmental advantages. This is because a significant reduction in virgin resources is required to produce reusables compared to the potential hundreds of disposable versions they replace. Using reusable products significantly reduces plastic waste and lowers demand for raw materials.
The Stats:
Disposable coffee cups are a significant source of waste, with an astounding number ending up in landfills each year. As reported by Sustainability Victoria, “Australians throw out 2.7 million single-use or disposable coffee cups every day. This adds up to 1 billion coffee cups thrown out every year.” In addition to the environmental impact, disposable cups can be a financial burden for businesses, as they must pay for disposal and recycling costs.
Reusable coffee cups are a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. They can be used repeatedly, reducing the need for disposable cups and the associated waste and costs. Plus, many coffee shops offer discounts for customers who bring their cups so that reusable cups can save money in the long run.
But how can businesses encourage their employees and visitors to switch to reusable coffee cups and engage with corporate sustainability goals?
Here are a few ideas:
Provide reusable coffee cups to employees/visitors:
Offer branded reusable coffee cups as a gift, as part of the employee onboarding process or as takeaway merchandise at events. This will promote sustainability and improve brand recognition and employee satisfaction. We have seen the success of such implementation, as we have worked with multiple businesses to create reusable coffee cups that are truly their own, manufactured in their branding colours, and with their logo printed on the cup.
Partner with local cafes to have them offer discounts for reusable cups: Encourage staff to bring their cups and partner with local restaurants, asking them to provide your staff a discount if they get a reusable cup. This will grow the cafe’s sales and give your staff a discount on coffee purchases. This can be a win-win-win for your business, the staff members, and the local cafe, all while reducing waste. This can also be implemented in facilities such as stadiums or large head offices with on-site cafes.
Implement a cup deposit system:
We have worked with businesses to successfully implement a cup deposit system where staff or visitors can use and return a reusable cup to a specific cleaning area or bin collector. The premium drinking experience of using a high-quality reusable cup that is then washed and reused, rather than a cheap disposable cup, can incentivise people to use reusable cups and reduce waste.
The Options:
Switching to reusable coffee cups can help businesses save money and support corporate sustainability goals. Reusable packaging can have various meanings for businesses and their employees. It could include bring-your-own choices, a selection of products the company provides as a gift or for on-site purchase, or a deposit system where coffee cups are washed and reused within the premises’ closed environment.
Regardless of the method you choose and your preference for your business, it is also worth keeping in mind that reusing drink containers is not a recent concept. In the past, milkmen would refill and reuse glass milk bottles, which is an excellent example of this practice. Reusables can be achieved; it is just about finding the right option for you or your business.
So why not change today and join the movement towards a more sustainable future?
