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NPDC helping show a whole latte love for reusable coffee cups

Lifestyle Local News People
PUBLISHED: 29 DEC 2020
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From central New Plymouth to Bell Block, to the TSB Festival of Lights, local coffee-drinkers are switching to a new easy takeaway coffee habit this summer.

Four cafes are the first to join the Again Again reusable cup lending scheme locally, with support from NPDC as it continues its push towards Zero Waste 2040.

Again Again lends member cafes food-grade stainless steel cups, reusable silicone lids and reusable or recyclable paper sleeves. Cafe customers then borrow the cup for a one-off bond of $3. Next time, they can swap for a free fresh cup at any participating cafe, or get a refund of $3.

Among the first cafes leading the charge to join Again Again locally are Ozone Coffee, Elixir, Pekaren in Bell Block, and Tea House on the Lake in Pukekura Park.

Tea House on the Lake owner Angie Orsborn hopes the idea will catch on with festival-goers and help to reduce the estimated three million coffee cups and lids that go to landfill in Taranaki each year.

“This is an exciting scheme. We all forget our reusable cup from time to time. Now anyone can borrow a cup from the coffee cart on the Hatchery Lawn, or from inside the Tea House when they’re visiting the Festival. A win for customers, us, and reducing waste at the Festival!”

NPDC is supporting the shift by paying the Again Again joining fees for cafes who come on board this summer. They’re also encouraging cafes to offer a discount to customers who bring their own clean reusable cup in a ‘Bring It’ campaign in the new year.

NPDC Manager of Resource Recovery Kimberley Hope says cups are one of the most common non-recyclable items ending up in kerbside recycling bins, taking significant time and money to sort.

“We’ve had great buy-in from the public for our Zero Waste vision and this scheme provides another way that people can help us cut down on waste going to landfill.

“We know many cafes want to do the right thing in reducing waste too, as well as reducing their costs. The Again Again scheme fits into a cafe’s workflow and hygiene requirements, and provides an easy solution for coffee drinkers if they forget to bring their reusable cup.”

Ozone Coffee was one of the first cafes to join Again Again at their Westmoreland Street eatery in Auckland in 2019. Ozone Coffee Roasters General Manager Steph Noble says their team has noted a steady decline in single-use takeaway cups by customers over the last 18 months, and an increased awareness of the need to reduce our single-use footprint.

“We are extremely proud to now be adding our New Plymouth Bean Store to the list of cafes who offer the Again Again scheme.” 

Cafes who are interested in joining Again Again or supporting reusable coffee cup use are encouraged to get in touch with NPDC on commercialwaste@npdc.govt.nz.

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Page last updated: 03:03pm Wed 04 August 2021

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