More than one billion disposable coffee cups are used nationwide each year, and Richmond Valley Council is partnering with Australian reusable cup maker Huskee to tackle the waste issue.
The Council Green Business Project, funded by the NSW EPA Waste Less, Recycle More initiative, will support up to 30 cafes and coffee service providers within the Richmond Valley Council local government area to implement HuskeeSwap, a reuse model that helps cafes transition to a waste-free service.
With single-use bans being implemented across Australia to help combat plastic waste, cafes and venues have two ways to tackle the issue: they could replace their existing disposable cups with a more expensive, potentially compostable alternative or encourage dine-in and implement a reusable option for takeaway that saves them money.
Huskee Partnership Manager Chad Buxton said COVID and the current financial environment have been tough on hospitality.
“It’s good to see reusables returning to cafes, and a swap system like ours really makes business sense,” Mr Buxton said.
“It provides additional revenue and significant savings for cafes doing it tough while saving the planet.”
Advantages of the HuskeeSwap system are:
• A simple opt-in system with no ongoing costs
• Easy to implement and designed to be easy on cafe workflows
• Customers can swap multiple sizes of HuskeeCup, the world’s first coffee cup made from coffee husk, a vast waste by-product of the coffee industry.
• Customers don’t have to wash their cups or even remember to bring them (if they use the app)
• Both cafes and customers can play a part in true impact,
Through this initiative, Richmond Valley Council and Huskee are working together to reduce single-use cup waste while empowering local businesses with sustainable solutions.
This partnership is an important step forward in helping businesses move away from traditional methods of disposing of waste and transitioning towards more sustainable practices.
According to Richmond Valley Council Manager Sustainable Communities and Environment Carla Dzendolet the initiative will help tackle some of our community’s barriers when remembering their reusable cup.
Ms Dzendolet said the cup exchange program allows for when people accidentally leave their dirty cup in the car or want to enjoy another coffee when out and about.
“Avoidance around single-use plastics is one of Council’s top waste reduction targets,” Ms Dzendolet said.
“By participating in the cup exchange program, we are avoiding single-use, saving resources, and saving waste going into landfill.”
Huskee is an Australian company which designs functional products to utilise waste and recycled material and systems which enable the transition to a waste-free world.
Huskee is pleased to work with Richmond Valley Council, which comprises 36 towns and villages in the Northern Rivers region, New South Wales.
To register your interest in the Green Business Initiative, fill out the Expression of Interest here: https://forms.gle/gQqgcxA5SFd9F8C47
For more information on HuskeeSwap, head to https://huskee.co/swap.
For interview requests contact Adam Hourigan on 0419 995 746.
Regards,
Adam Hourigan
Officer Communications and Digital Experience
Richmond Valley Council | Locked Bag 10, CASINO NSW 2470
T: 02 6660 0324 | M: 0419 995 746
E: adam.hourigan@richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au | https://richmondvalley.nsw.gov.au