06 February 2023 
Jan Capper, CUBO Executive Director
Ecups Limited have partnered with University College Dublin, the Irish Universities Association & research consultancy The Behaviouralist to explore ways of encouraging coffee lovers to ditch single use paper cups in favour of reusable cups.
Behaviour change can be a challenge and while some universities have introduced successful schemes, others have found that offering a reusable cup without an effective reuse scheme can result in low uptake.
Despite calls for outlets to prioritise reuse over single use, most takeaway hot drinks are served in cups made from virgin paper with a plastic-coated liner, which are hard to recycle. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee reported that out of the 2.5bn paper cups used in the UK each year, only 0.25% are recycled. 500,000 are littered every day, the rest end up in landfill.
UCD have introduced Ecup’s reusable, recyclable cup into their catering venues in tandem with the Ecups App. Use of the cups across campus will be measured by the App, which not only encourages customers to reuse through reward schemes and incentives, but shows each user how many disposable cups they have personally saved from landfill. Back-office data will enable the university to monitor take-up and the cost savings made against purchasing disposable cups. To assess best practice in leading customers down the reuse route, The Behaviouralist have introduced control elements into the cup roll-out and will observe the difference these make to specific user groups.
Jon Greenwood MBE, former Commercial Director at The University of York, Sustainability Officer for CUBO for 14 years and a Green Gown Judge, outlines the difficulties in embedding a move to reuse: ‘A genuine commitment to behaviour change both in customer and caterer is necessary. The option of reuse should be readily available, easy and more economical for the customer. Any incentives should always sit with customers wanting to be sustainable.’
Working with Ecups Limited, Jon introduced the successful Yorcup reuse scheme at York University. Yorcup now has 7000+ members and has saved over £1 million cups from landfill. He acknowledges a unified approach is necessary: ‘Catering and sustainability managers need to work together to deliver a successful scheme and if the environmental savings aren’t a big enough push, then bear in mind there are huge financial savings to be made in not having to purchase and dispose of single use cups, which will more than cover the cost of introducing reusable cups in the same financial year. Sustainability really is the cost-effective option.’
Jon was so impressed with Ecups' drive to sustainable reuse when he was at York that he became a director of the company when he retired.
The UK government will be legislating over the next two years to ensure companies take responsibility for the impact of their single use cups - meaning single use will cease to be a choice. Ireland and Scotland have plans to introduce a latte levy on companies using disposable cups within this parliament.
York based Ecups Limited, who design and manufacture their cups in Yorkshire, are working with California Combined Colleges to supply 118 campuses representing 1.8 million students following a complete ban on single use cups in California.
Ecups' determination to eliminate single use cups has recently been recognised by The Federation of Small Businesses who have shortlisted the company as finalists in the Sustainability category for the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards, which take place in February.
Find out more: https://www.ecups.co.uk
