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New returnable cup scheme aims to save thousands from going in the bin
By: Ellie Evans
Last updated: Monday, 13 January 2025
We’re launching a new scheme in a number of campus cafés this month that aims to save thousands of disposable cups from going into the bin.
The new initiative will see returnable cups available in Eat Central, ACCA Café, Botanical Café, the Library Café and the Veg Bowl @ Dhaba, saving you money and making it super convenient as you don’t even have to carry your empty cup around.
In October 2023, more than 17,000 cups were thrown away in those five cafes here on campus. But this new alternative will change the way we use cups to save our students and staff money and time.
Staff and students will pay £3.95 to join the scheme: you’ll receive your hot drink in a reusable cup which you can hand back and swap for a keyring token to get a new cup the next time you order.
Why you should join the scheme
Using a returnable cup will save you 20p every time you buy a hot drink on campus – plus, you will be doing your bit for the planet.
At the moment, we don't have coffee cup recycling on campus so all disposable cups sold go to general waste. Sometimes people try to be sustainable by putting them into dry mixed recycling - but this contaminates the recycling and the whole bin of recyclable material may not be recycled. The returnable cup scheme aims to avoid both of these issues.
“This is a super-convenient system that has worked well in other universities,” says Sandra Juan-Delgado, Sustainability Manager for our catering partners Sussex Uni Food. “Instead of the possibility of misplacing your cup or having to carry it home to wash it, we can clean it for you and you get a fresh one each time you order a hot drink.
“In October, we sold a total of 20,225 hot drinks in those five cafes participating in the scheme, but less than 16% of those were in reusable cups – which meant 17,087 cups were thrown away in just one month.
“We hope that this new introduction will mean more and more people will start using our returnable cups instead of throwing disposable cups in the bin.
“Every cup will be professionally cleaned before it is used again. And in addition, there is currently a 20p surcharge for a disposable cup – so if you invest at the start of term, you will have paid off the returnable cup after buying 20 hot drinks.”
How does it work?
Join the returnable cup scheme for £3.95 then…
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Option 1: keep the cup for as long as you like and keep reusing it
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Option 2: finish your drink and return the cup to those Sussex Uni Food cafés to swap for a token to clip onto your keyring. Then you can exchange the token for a clean cup next time you're on campus, so you don’t have to carry the cup around or take it home with you.
Your questions answered!
Q: What if I lose my cup?
A: We encourage people to take care of the cups as if it was their own reusable one. But if you don’t want to carry it around or think you might lose it, the cup can be returned at these Sussex Uni Food cafés: Eat Central, Botanical Café, the Library Café and the Veg Bowl @ Dhaba, as well as the ACCA. We will give you a token that clips onto your keyring, which you can exchange for a clean cup on your next purchase.
Q: I really like coffee – can I get a bigger cup?
A: Absolutely. We have 12oz and 16oz available.
Q: Why does it cost £3.95 to join?
A: Compared to the prices of reusable cups, a returnable scheme is not pricey. A one-time fee gives access to the scheme during your time at the University. Apart from being really convenient, you don’t have to pay the disposable cup surcharge of 20p, which means you will be saving money after 20 hot drinks.
Q: Why is the scheme not running in Doctor’s Orders or Arts Piazza Café?
A: The logistics of washing the cups in circulation means it’s not possible to include these two outlets at the moment, but we’re working on it.
Q: What if I leave the University?
A: Our returnable cup initiative does not work on a deposit basis, which is why we do not offer the option of a refund. But you can take your cup with you!
Q: If I’m just visiting the University, do I need to enrol into the scheme?
A: We will not be getting rid of disposable cups completely. While we will try to minimise the use of single-use cups, we do not expect visitors and guests to be part of the scheme and we will still have disposable cups available.