The UK’s first-ever returnable cup initiative between multiple national brands launched in Glasgow on 27 January, aiming to cut into the 388 million disposable cups used in Scotland each year.
Major retailers including Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and Burger King® UK are joining forces to participate in “Borrow Cup”, a project set up by environmental charity Hubbub and reuse start-up Reposit. Several local cafes, including Tinderbox, Sprigg, Kelvingrove Museum and Glasgow City Chambers are also part of the initiative, which aims to expand further across the UK in future depending on the success of an initial three-month period.
Customers purchasing a drink at any participating store will be given the option to use a ‘Borrow Cup’ for a £1 deposit and will receive a discount or extra loyalty rewards at most participating locations*. Cups are available in three different sizes, and customers can return them at any participating venue to either use again, swap for a clean cup for their next drink, get their deposit back at the till or a £1 voucher at a return point.
According to WRAP2, over three billion disposable cups are used in the UK every year. Recent research from Hubbub reveals that nearly three-quarters of UK residents own a reusable cup, however only a third say they use it at least once a month3. Borrow Cup aims to test whether providing a reusable option at source and making it more convenient for customers by providing a dense network of return points, results in fewer disposable cups being used.
To date, returnable cup initiatives have generally failed to progress due to trials being too small-scale; cumbersome user experiences have deterred engagement; and a lack of data-led traceability and measurement has limited further development. Borrow Cup is different as it is a pioneering collaboration with major brands and local cafes, creating a high concentration of return points in the busiest areas of Glasgow. The user journey is simple with minimal friction (no apps or sign-ups) and robust tracking and measurement will help determine how the system can become environmentally and financially viable.
Gavin Ellis, Co-founder at Hubbub said: “Despite most people owning a reusable cup, they are generally left at home so it’s crucial we consider other ways to make reuse more accessible. We’ve taken learnings from other trials and created a pioneering shared system that makes it really simple for people to choose a reusable cup at point of sale.
Disposable cups make up 30%4 of the drinks waste in Glasgow’s on-street bins so we are delighted to partner with over 50 locations including some major brands and hope this trial will shift habits and help to make reusable cups the norm. We want to demonstrate how a collaborative model can improve the success of returnable cups, and understand how it can become environmentally, commercially and operationally viable. If successful, we are optimistic that this approach can be rolled out further across the UK.”
Stuart, Co-founder of Reposit said: “As a local business we are delighted to be enabling local people, local and national businesses to make a simple switch from single-use to returnable cups. The world is watching how Glasgow is leading the way so that they can follow”.
Nicola Pierce, Director of Commercial Planning & ESG at Burger King® UK said: “Burger King® UK is excited to partner with Hubbub to bring Borrow Cup to Glasgow. This industry collaboration allows us to explore innovative ways to offer our customers a convenient and sustainable alternative and we look forward to seeing the results.”
Gareth Hopley, Head of Communication at Caffè Nero said: “We have long been supporters of recycling schemes for disposable cups, such as the Valpak scheme, and we’re delighted to be partnering on Borrow Cup. We already offer additional loyalty stamps to any customer who uses a reusable cup in any of our stores, and Borrow Cup will sit perfectly along side it. I’m sure it will be hugely successful.”
Liz Higgins, Global Head of Sustainability at Costa Coffee said: “At Costa Coffee, we are delighted to be part of this collaboration. Working with Hubbub and partners on the Borrow Cup initiative presents an exciting opportunity to understand how to make reusable options more convenient to everyone. We’re proud to join this effort within the industry and look forward to seeing results of the trial.”
Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Gillian Martin said:
“Single-use cups create over 5,400 tonnes of waste in Scotland every year and initiatives like Borrow Cup are vital for driving change and reducing waste.
“By encouraging the use of returnable and reusable cups, this project demonstrates the power of collaboration between major brands, independent businesses, and innovative organisations like Hubbub and Reposit. While we continue to investigate waste reduction policies, including analysing consultation responses on proposals for a minimum charge on single-use beverage cups, voluntary efforts such as this play a critical role in reducing waste, protecting our environment, and supporting Scotland’s journey toward a circular economy.”
Hubbub are working with Carbon Bright to assess the environmental impact of Borrow Cup and then aims to expand Borrow Cup further based on the success of the first three months.
Borrow Cup will be offered at the following retailers across Glasgow; Costa Coffee (11 locations); Caffè Nero (14 locations) and Burger King® UK (12 locations). Local cafes include Tinderbox (5 locations); Sprigg (3 locations); Kelvingrove Museum and Glasgow City Chambers (2 locations, operated by Encore).
The project has been funded by the participating brands (Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and Burger King® UK) along with Ecosurety, Bunzl, British Plastics Federation and KFC. Industry partners have also supported the project, with the cups provided by Berry, washing equipment provided by Electrolux, RFID scanning technology from Avery Dennison, plus project support from Keep Scotland Beautiful and Biffa.
For more information on Borrow Cup visit hubbub.org.uk/borrow-cup.
