Welsh refill return cup pilot extended for further two months

A first of its kind reusable cup return scheme taking place in a Welsh city has been extended for a further two months to maximise the insights and benefits gained from the initiative.

The Cardiff Refill Return Cup pilot has so far seen the successful return of more than 10,000 reusable cups in just six months.

The additional time will allow the pilot to continue supporting Cardiff residents and businesses to reduce single-use cup waste, while generating further data to inform future reuse schemes across the UK.

To date, it’s estimated the Cardiff pilot has saved 178kg of CO₂ – the equivalent of 1,272,337km of car travel.

Network 

The scheme – the first of its kind in Wales – enables customers to borrow a reusable takeaway cup from any participating café and return it to any other venue in the network.

Cups are free to use if returned within two weeks and are then washed and recirculated for future use.

Led by FOR Cardiff in partnership with environmental non-profit City to Sea, the pilot has been embraced by over 20 Cardiff businesses.

It will be evaluated by Cardiff Business School and Greenwich Business School, providing an evidence base to support similar models in other locations.

Little Pikkle Coffee Shop, based in Capital Tower, has become the latest venue to join the growing network of participating businesses – underlining local appetite to reduce waste and support reuse.

Single-use

Carolyn Brownell, Executive Director of FOR Cardiff, said: “This pilot has shown that Cardiff businesses and customers are willing and ready to embrace more sustainable habits.

“Every cup returned is a small but meaningful win for the city, and the data and insights we’ve gathered will pave the way for smarter, scalable solutions to single-use waste in the future.”

George Clark, Programme Lead at City to Sea, added: “The extension of this scheme is a testament to the city’s commitment to tackling the issue of single-use waste.

“10,000 returns is a significant milestone, and Cardiff is proving that sustainable change is possible when businesses and communities work together.”

To find out more and see a full list of participating businesses on the Cardiff Refill Return Cup Scheme, download the Refill app: https://www.refill.org.uk