Reusable coffee cups scheme launches in the inner west
Marrickville Metro is the first shopping mall in Australia to promote a reusable coffee cup scheme centre-wide, as Green Caffeen launches in the inner west.
Inner West
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Marrickville Metro is believed to be the first shopping centre in Australia to promote a centre-wide reusable coffee cup program.
At the launch of the Inner West’s reusable coffee cup program today, 70 per cent of coffee shops in the Marrickville Metro were on board.
With 30 other shopping centres under the AMP banner, Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne said this could be the start of a movement.
“We’re on the verge of making this the first shopping centre in Australia to have every cafe within it part of a coffee cup scheme,” Cr Byrne said.
Green Caffeen is an app-based reusable cup program. People sign up on the Green Caffeen app, pick-up a coffee cup from one of the local ‘stockists’, and then drop the cup off to be washed by the next participating cafe they visit.
Thirty inner west cafe’s have joined Green Caffeen so far.
One half of Green Caffeen Martin Brooks said nearly 1000 people have downloaded the app in the inner west.
Fifty to 60 cups have been checked out since Saturday, following the soft launch.
Mr Brooks said people are relieved that “somebody is finally doing something”.
“So many people say, ‘I had a similar idea’. It wasn’t that hard, it’s an easy solution to a big problem,” he said.
Mr Brooks said it’s a similar attitude to when plastic bags started being phased-out.
“Coffee cups are going to be like (plastic bags). We think single-use items will probably be banned in about two to five years.”
“We can’t sustain a recycling environment, where people think, ‘I’ll use it once, but it’ll get recycled somewhere’. Recycling is not the answer.”
Donut King owner Alice Wu said the idea was “really good” for younger customers who had access to an iPhone and didn’t have the time to sit down at a cafe.
Espresso Brother’s owner Ahmed Berro received about 30 Green Caffeen cups over the weekend, which have been used by about seven customers in the last two days.
“I think it’s good for the community. Instead of wasting and wasting, people can just use it and return it.”
Mr Berro said the demographics of the area have changed and people want to see these types of initiatives.
“I’ve been in the shopping centre for nine years and Marrickville for 30 years. I’ve seen the change in demographics and the people. More young people coming through, the community’s changed, every household has 3 or 4 people living in it … rent is more expensive now. There are more people wanting to help the community and see it grow.”
With coffee cups costing up to 30 cents each, Mr Berro said it could also have an economic benefit.
“I know for a fact if I could try and push the coffee cups, I would save a bit of money,” he said.
Cr Byrne said he wants to see the inner west “put its money where its mouth is”.
“Everyone knows that our people are very committed to sustainability and environmental protection. This is a way we can do something practical (and) set an example for the rest of the country.”
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