Launch of new scheme in Edinburgh to cut single use waste

Edinburgh city have taken a major step towards reducing waste packaging with the launch of 2GoCup

The 2GoCup initiative is empowering cafés and coffee lovers across Edinburgh to make a simple swap for sustainability. Participating businesses are now offering reusable cups that customers can easily use in place of single-use paper ones — helping reduce the city’s growing waste problem, one coffee at a time.

Through 2GoCup’s return and deposit scheme, customers simply pay a £2 deposit for their 2GoCup, which they can reuse, exchange for a fresh one, or return to any participating café to get their deposit back. This simple system has already seen great success at locations such as Black Medicine Coffee and Steampunk Coffee.

Recent estimates show that Scotland uses a staggering 388 million single-use paper cups annually, most of which are not properly recycled and end up in landfills or incineration. Which is why it is great to finally see the launch of 2GoCup. Their mission is to dramatically reduce that figure and help build a greener, more sustainable city.

To date, 20 cafés have joined the movement — including Urban Angel, Sugar Daddy, and Wellington Coffee — with many more set to follow. Local business owners are

already voicing their excitement about the positive environmental and community impact of this collaboration.

Jon Sharp, Wellington Coffee has said: “Wellington Coffee is delighted to be partnering with 2GoCup and other coffee shops to bring a returnable coffee cup scheme to Edinburgh.”

A spokesperson from Zero Waste Scotland said: “Single-use materials make up a significant proportion of our waste, and yet they are a largely unnecessary component. The 2GoCup initiative empowers people to make a small change that can make a big difference, helping us tackle our throwaway culture and incentivise a greater move towards reusable options where possible.”

Kevin Murphy, CEO of 2GoCup has said: “We are delighted to see such incredible engagement from the cafe community in Edinburgh which has such a flourishing independent coffee scene. It’s great we can bring these businesses together to save money and be more sustainable. We’re excited to bring many more businesses onboard”.

With 2GoCup now in over 800 locations across the UK and Ireland, it’s exciting to see Scotland taking its place in the movement toward a more sustainable future.

The cups are made in Ireland of durable, BPA-free materials, designed for multiple uses. They have over 1000 uses and are fully recyclable at the end of their lifecycle.

For more information please visit their website  https://2gocup.net/