The Hunter JO have teamed up with Green Caffeen on a program to deliver a Swap-and-Go Coffee Cup scheme for Hunter residents. The scheme aims to eliminate distribution of disposable cups by providing participating cafes and coffee outlets with reusable cups which are available for scheme members to use when buying their coffee.

With single-use plastic bans now legislated in South Australia, Western Australia and Hobart, and debate about single-use plastic bans occurring in most other States and Territories, introduction of plastic takeaway cup and container alternatives is becoming critical. In a first step in that direction, reducing use of disposable coffee cups will be a visible, positive and significant step towards a circular economy for the takeaway industry.

The cost of the scheme will be shared between the Hunter JO and seven participating councils (Maitland, Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock, Singleton, Muswellbrook and Upper Hunter), with cafes and community members participating for free. Green Caffeen have reported cost savings for cafes in reduced consumables, and very positive responses from coffee drinkers that want to consume sustainably.

“Delivered as part of the Hunter Joint Organisation’s regional Small Acts Big Change program, Green Caffeen offers an Australian-made, sustainable, cup reuse scheme free of charge for cafes and coffee drinkers,” says Bob Pynsent, Hunter Joint Organisation Board Chair and Mayor, Cessnock City Council.

Through February and March Councils and the Hunter JO will be promoting the scheme heavily with the support of Green Caffeen, to encourage cafes across the region to join the program.

Some facts about coffee cups and Green Caffeen

• Most coffee cups can’t be recycled because of their plastic lining. This means they can contaminate recycling streams and often end up as litter.
• Biodegradable coffee cups are a good single-use option, but because the infrastructure isn’t readily available to compost them, they often end up in landfill anyway.
• Green Caffeen is already operating in many councils around NSW and your Green Caffeen cup can travel around the state. It is a bit like a library for cups – you can check out or check in a coffee cup at any participating café, and it gets washed hygienically for the next use.
• It is free for Hunter residents to join Green Caffeen and take a big step towards reducing their waste.
• The Green Caffeen app helps you keep track of your cups and Green Caffeen cafes in your area.  We will be able to access the data from this scheme to understand usage and landfill avoidance statistics.
• The Green Caffeen scheme can operate safely under Covid-safe practices which means we can keep drinking coffee sustainably and supporting cafes while staying safe.

To find out more about Green Caffeen, click here

To read our Media Release, click here