IN Australia, one billion cups a year end up in the landfill – an astonishing amount.

Contrary to popular belief, these cannot be recycled as they have a thin plastic lining.

News Of The Area surveyed cafes around the Bay to see which ones were offering a discount for customers who bring their own reusable cup.

The Paper Rose Cafe (formerly Ethica) at the bottom of the Cascade Walk  in Stockton Street and Gloria Jeans in Magnus Street are two cafes listed on the Responsible Cafes website at www.responsiblecafes.org.

Clean Eats and Healthy Treats in Stockton Street is another participating cafe.

The cafes receive a vintage-style poster, an information sheet outlining the issue, and twice yearly statistics on how the incentive is working.

Responsible Cafes is a volunteer group run by cafe owners, coffee drinkers and interested citizens.

Jacqui Hibbert, co-owner/manager of the Paper Rose Cafe said that they are offering a 50 cent discount for people who bring a reusable cup.

A range of reusable cups are on order for customers to purchase, though customers can bring their own.

Jacqui says that she was inspired by the ABC programme ‘War on Waste’ to launch the new initiative.

They have promoted it through their Facebook page and report that customers are picking up on the idea.

Along the road at Gloria Jeans, Krysten Ciampi told News Of The Area, “We have been selling our own brand reusable cups for 13 years but since the ‘War on Waste’ show, we have been accepting any cup.”

The family-run business also offers a 50 cent discount to customers and has similarly seen increased awareness in the initiative.

Hopefully more cafes will get on board to bring a new meaning to BYO.

 

By Sarah STOKES