Coffee lovers swap and go in Western Sydney

Seven councils in Western Sydney are participating in the Green Caffeen initiative — a swap-and-go coffee cup scheme that will benefit cafes, coffee lovers and the environment.

The Green Caffeen rollout is part of a broader ‘Refill Don’t Landfill’ campaign, encouraging Western Sydney residents to adopt alternatives to everyday disposable items. The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) joins other government organisations such as the ACT state government, Inner West Council, Wollongong City Council, Kiama Municipal Council and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council in bringing a cost-saving and waste-reducing initiative to local businesses and consumers.

To take part in the re-usable cup scheme, consumers simply download the Green Caffeen app, sign up, then collect their re-usable cup from a participating cafe. The coffee cup can be returned to any Green Caffeen cafe and — as long as it’s returned within 30 days — is completely free to use.

The scheme is also free for participating cafes. With over 11,000 people already using it across 420 cafes Australia-wide, Green Caffeen is reported to be the biggest rollout of a re-usable system anywhere in the country.

“The waste reduction of re-usables isn’t to be sniffed at,” Green Caffeen Co-founder Damien Clarke said.

“A small trial held last year at Good Fella Coffee in Bella Vista and The Tuckshop at Glenhaven saw them prevent the use of over 5000 single-use cups over just three months. The Green Caffeen re-usable cups make it easy to choose the eco-friendly option without sacrificing convenience.”

With the average takeaway customer consuming 500 cups per year, 7.5 kg of unnecessary single-use rubbish is generated. Over a billion disposable cups are thrown away each year in Australia, many of which end up in the sea, polluting the ecosystem and destroying marine life. Changing our takeaway coffee habits is one simple step that can have a big impact.

“Green Caffeen saves cafes the cost of single-use packaging as well as saving the environment, so it’s a real no-brainer for them to jump on board,” Clarke continued.

“Green Caffeen was deliberately designed with cafes in mind to help reduce environmental footprint and increase their bottom line — that’s the secret to our success.”

Green Caffeen is launching across the Western Sydney region on 24 February 2020 with space for 160 cafes. Cafes that have not already signed up can do so at https://greencaffeen.com.au/cafe-join/.

Coffee drinkers can find participating Green Caffeen cafes at https://greencaffeen.com.au/cafe-finder.