Returnable Cups

The UK uses at least 2.5 billion disposable cups annually, and only one in 400 cups is recycled, resulting in a staggering amount of landfill waste from our daily coffee habit.

On top of that, every single-use plastic-lined paper cup emits 61g of carbon emissions, meaning approximately 152,500 tonnes of carbon is emitted into the atmosphere from the UK’s disposable cups each year - the same volume as driving a car over 1 billion km.

The introduction of a returnable cup system supports our transition away from single-use, and towards circularity.

The trial launches in our Scoresby Street location on the 4th of August for three months, with a vision to become a permanent option.

The system is free, provided the cup is returned to the Scoresby Street site undamaged within seven days of borrowing. If the cup is not returned in this time frame, the customer will be charged £3, and the cup then belongs to them, and cannot be returned.

7 days from the day of borrowing. Customers can scan the unique QR code on each cup to see how long they have left to return it.

Yes – if you are enjoying your drink in the coffee shop, it will still be served in a ceramic cup.

Yes.

No - paying full price for the coffee allows us to keep the system free for customers to use. Customers using their own reusable cups are still eligible for a discount.

The cups are designed and manufactured by Circular&Co, and are made from food grade recyclable polypropylene (PP).

They are dishwasher safe, designed for at least 1000 commercial washes, and most importantly, achieve carbon savings after just 3 uses.

Returnable cups are not suitable for use in a microwave.

• If a cup is no longer able to hold liquid 
• If there is damage to the chip in the base of the cup, making it unable to be scanned back into the system 
• If there have been permanent markings or personalisation to the cups (written name, stickers, etc)
• If the cup is returned without its lid

We kindly ask that customers return their damaged cups to one of our baristas so that they can recycle it. In this case, as the cup will not be classed as returned, the customer will be charged £3.

For support with your cup, please scan the QR on the cup to access the Circular&Co support website. You can also find the support website URL on your bank statement.