What We Learned Trialling Returnable Cups
In August 2025, we launched a five-month returnable cup pilot at our Scoresby Street coffee shop, an ambitious and experimental step toward a solution that reduces single-use waste. Now that the trial has concluded, we wanted to share what we learned, what worked, what didn’t, and where we’re going next.
Why We Trialled Returnable Cups
Takeaway coffee consumption creates a staggering amount of waste: an estimated 2.5 billion disposable cups every year in the UK alone*. Only 1 in 400 of these cups are ever recycled*, and because they are often lined with plastic, the vast majority end up in landfill or incineration. To put the impact into perspective: each single-use cup is responsible for around 61g of CO₂, adding up to more than 152,500 tonnes of carbon emissions every year**, the same volume of carbon emissions as you would emit driving a car for over 1 billion km, which is almost the distance from Earth to Saturn.
A well‑designed, returnable cup, can replace up to 1000 disposable cups over its lifetime, and technically saves on carbon emissions after just three uses***. For the pilot, we partnered with Cornwall-based Circular & Co., designers and makers of durable reusable cups embedded with RFID technology. This enables a specific cup to be connected to a specific customer, and means that they can be returned by simply placing in a dedicated in-store drop-off point, and scanned back in. Having this technology installed in our coffee shops allowed us to track returns, understand usage patterns, and make sure customers were only charged if they forgot to return the cup within the designated window – otherwise, the cups were free to borrow.
Our approach was intentionally hybrid: customers could choose a returnable cup, bring their own, or opt for a single‑use cup. This flexibility made the system more accessible and let us observe how people behave when sustainability is an option, not a requirement.
What We Achieved
Despite being a small, single‑site pilot offered on an optional basis, we saw some encouraging results:
- Around 30% of our customers week-on-week chose to use returnable cups during the trial, a figure that stands in stark contrast to previous industry pilots, which Circular&Co. reported averaged just 3%.
- 2,790 single-use cups were avoided during this period, which equates to 153.45 kg CO₂e***.
- The return rate of the cups sat between 83–90%, showing that once customers opted in, they remained highly engaged. This was also noted by the team at Circular&Co. as a high number compared to other trials.
- We saw an uptake in people choosing to sit in and enjoy their coffee, rather than take away.
- We saw that behaviour change isn’t just possible, it’s welcomed. Many of our regular visitors became genuine champions of the system, proudly returning their cups and helping to spread the word.
What We Learned
- Convenience shapes habits
Some customers found the return window too short, especially if they weren’t regular visitors to Scoresby Street or local residents. With only one participating site, returning a cup wasn’t always straightforward.
2. Optional systems add complexity
Providing multiple cup options (returnable, single‑use, or bring‑your‑own) made the messaging more nuanced and to some, more complex. It also required our coffee shop team to spend more time guiding customers through the system.
3. Choice still matters
Even though the system was optional, those who did participate were enthusiastic. Contrary to point number two, this showed us that returnable systems don’t need to be mandatory to be impactful. Adopting a hybrid model meant uptake was always likely to be limited, and how we approach a potential transition to an all-in policy, will be crucial for future success. We have concluded that the significant uptake of our trial compared to other industry pilots appears to be driven by our decision to offer a genuinely free borrowing service, with no app downloads or deposits required, and by the active engagement of our team.
4. Tech-enabled cups were successful
The RFID tags in the cups performed reliably, helping automate the payment side of the process, and kept the return system simple for customers.
5. Collaboration makes change easier
The trial connected us to industry partners tackling similar problems. Sharing data, challenges, and insights strengthened our conviction that the future of coffee must be circular. Our baristas also played an integral role in supporting and encouraging our customers to engage with the system.
What's Next
We’re pleased to share we are reviewing opportunities for phase two of the trial. This includes exploring different locations, return models, customer incentives, and operational setups. Our goal is clear: create a scalable system that delivers strong and sustainable environmental impact, that is accessible and easy to adopt by our customers. Customers can still use their Origin returnable cup at any of our shops and will continue to receive a reusable cup discount.
This trial didn’t exist in isolation. We shared our findings with local councils, high street stakeholders, and government actors; presented at the Mayor of London’s High Street Classroom; and contributed to ReLondon’s Circular Economy Week. There’s a growing movement across the UK toward circular, low‑waste systems, and we’re proud to be part of the conversation.
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This trial was made possible by partners and people who believed in and supported the adoption of a returnable cup system and more circular future for speciality coffee. A special thank you to Circular & Co., ReLondon, Monmouth Coffee, our Scoresby Street team and our wonderful community of customers. Here’s to phase two.
Sources:
** Estimate based on conversion factors available through OpenCo2.net: https://www.openco2.net/en/co2-converter/