I’ll keep my cup thank you!
- Image via Coffee Supreme
Attention takeaway coffee drinkers! How many takeaway cups of coffee do you drink a week? Look, I know that life is hectic in Wellywood, but seriously, even if you only drink five takeaway coffees a week; imagine a years worth of cups in a pile. That is definitely not environmentally friendly. And let’s be honest, we like to be environmentally friendly in Wellington.
So what is the solution? How do we decrease our takeaway cup footprint? Well, it’s really simple. Pop past Coffee Supreme’s Woodward Street retail store (or their Hopper Street Cafe) and pick up a KeepCup. Hailing from Australia, The KeepCup is the first barista standard reusable coffee cup. And as the company mantra goes, “Many small acts make a phenomenal difference.” Of course, Coffee Supreme isn’t the only local KeepCup provider. You can also get them from People’s Coffee.
Personally, I went with Supreme, because they allow you to customise your own KeepCup out of the four key parts – the cup, the lid, the plug and the band; all available in a wide range of colours. Being the staunch Wellingtonian that I am, I opted for an all-black KeepCup. This is where the People’s Coffee KeepCup falls down, as it is done up in People’s Coffee colours, which could make it awkward if you were to bring it into a cafe supplied by some other company like Havana, Mojo or Cafe L’affare.
Of course, that’s not the only potential social faux pas the KeepCup offers, the other big one being, should you clean your KeepCup yourself? Or do you expect the barista to wash it out? Regardless, with a four year lifespan, my all-black KeepCup will be responsible for four thousand so less used takeaway coffee cups! KeepCup: saving the planet one takeaway coffee at a time!
- By Martyn, 19 comments
- Posted 11 July 2010
19 comments
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Any keepcup out there we can get that isn't cafe-affiliated or roasters-affiliated? I like to cafe-hop to find the barista who makes the most perfect cortado!
By Neo, 11 July 2010
Supreme have kitset parts to make a non-descript model (as mentioned in the blog)
By Martyn Pepperell, 12 July 2010
i have one! bought it from Brooklyn Cafe and i use it all the time!
By Joy, 12 July 2010
Thanks for supporting KeepCup!
We have heaps of colours available, but if you want me to order a specific selection, feel free to get in touch!
Cheers,
Olivia
olivia@coffeesupreme.co.nz
By Olivia (Supreme NZ), 13 July 2010
I saw these at Magnetix but they were branded and as a coffee house slut I didn't see how I could take it to the two or three other places I frequent.
By Paul, 13 July 2010
I think that potential awkwardness is very much a mindset.. I personally wouldn't have any problem walking into a non-peoples cafe with a peoples-branded KC because it's about re-use, not aesthetics.. it's not about having a fashion-statement cup. I think Baristas I know would just be stoked that I was using a re-usable cup at all.
By Dan, 14 July 2010
I just used my KeepCup now! Go KeepCups!
By Martyn Pepperell, 14 July 2010
I reckon there's no problem them being branded and all - its not about the brand its about the environment. Isn't it?
By June, 14 July 2010
@Dan - good to hear you entering the dialogue, good points made. I still wouldn't rock a branded KeepCup in the coffee central city which is Wellington though.
By Martyn Pepperell, 15 July 2010
I'm more than happy to use non-mojo branded cups. We are sometimes cheeky though and reverse the plastic band so the branding is hidden :) Extra coffee love to those that wash their cups first too.
By Matt @mojooldbank, 16 July 2010
I just bought my KeepCup! It's great - it's BPA-free - and keeps your coffee hot. My only whinge is - not two minutes into my happy KeepCup experience that the first cafe I walked into on The Terrace tells me they don't do KeepCups. And the barista-owner there goes straight off they are 'unhygienic' before I could really say anything. I went 'oh couldn't you just transfer the coffee' thinking in my mind, it's easy enough to pour the coffee from a regular cup/jug into mine. However, they said no again so I walked away feeling quite deflated that sadly a cafe has not at least considered working 'with' an idea rather that 'against' it. So if there is an 'issue of hygiene' cos of the way the baristas currently make their coffees from the machine - well, look at the bigger picture and embrace the benefits of the KeepCup and work around the preceived problem. Instantly I was thinking geez use your regular cup then tip in my coffee. Like you said Martyn, it's about the environment isn't it? I don't want to name and shame on a public blog cos I believe in giving people a second chance. So maybe they'll get it soon - but for now, that is one cafe I won't be frequenting.
By Neo, 19 July 2010
Seeing people using KeepCups puts a smile on my face. If you're wondering about the other reusable takeaway cups available, I've reviewed the KeepCup and 2 others at http://www.dlish.co.nz/blog/takeaway_cup_alternatives.aspx
But I must admit, the KeepCup was my favourite of the three :D
By Andrea - So D'lish, 19 July 2010
I got Black and Yellow (Wellington colours). As someone who makes coffees in KeepCups, it would be nice if they were rinsed out but I have no ish running it quickly under some water.
By Jo, 22 July 2010
I Purchased two when we were in Melbourne in March, if you use your own keepcup they take 50c off your coffee, not sure if they discount here but love it keeps coffee warmer for much longer than the paper cups.
By maureen, 22 July 2010
How much are these?
By Laura, 22 July 2010
Go the keep cup! It's so great to see more and more people getting involved!
We also stock them at Starfish on Willis St. We have the super cute unbranded variety and the oxfam keep cup ( all proceeds from this one go to Oxfam!)
Warm wishes,
Anna @ Starfish
By Anna, 22 July 2010
Howdy Wellingtonians, you folk are missing an important thing about the fabulous KeepCup, YOU wash your own cup, you don't ask the barista to wash it, that would be gross! Your cute little instruction booklet that comes inside the cup makes that clear. So please everyone, wash your cup!
Good on you everyone
Cheers
Jo@KeepCup
By Jo, 23 July 2010
A great blog post and lots of interesting comments. I personally wouldn't mind using a branded cup in another cafe because it's all about doing our bit for the environment. But on the other hand I can see why some people would prefer unbranded. I think the idea of turning the band over is brilliant and I really hope people do wash their cups before giving them to the barista!
We sell ours through Mokita online and I bought my own from Coffee Supreme just so I could have another colour :-)
Go the Keepcup!
elaine @ mokitaonline
By elaine, 23 July 2010
I like the branding vs personal colour setup discussion.
A KeepCup (or 2) will help to restore the feel-good-factor for the increasingly eco-aware officeworker who enjoys that afternoon mindfulness stroll away from their desk to the local cafe.
I'm carrying KeepCups -- as an eco-distributor -- using electric cargo-carrying push-bikes here in Melbourne -- so colour selection and branding (or non-branding) is one of the key topics on which I advise cafe owners. I personally feel that letting your customer choose their own colour scheme has the highest positive ecological impact: your customer is more likely to use a cup that they are comfortable with. Now that's obviously an extreme -- as expecting a cafe to stock every colour of every component is a significant cost -- so the solution is somewhere in-between.
Having said that, if a cafe that stocks 1 colour scheme of branded cups and also offers a discount on refills -- such as 20 cents or 50 cents, then
If a cafe does not offer a discount -- such as the cost price of the paper cup + lid -- they're behind the norm and might need a reality-check. Truth is, if you use a few hundred or thousand cups less each year, the cafe is saving money on the paper cups and lids they would've had to give you -- so press them for a discount. Cafes I work with pay between 2 cents and 50 cents per cup and lid -- depending on quantity and quality of the disposable cups they use.
Interestingly the branded bands are currently (as far as I know in Aug 2010) made in China due to screen printing quality available in Melbourne -- so branding has increased the carbon footprint of the KeepCup's band.
---
Can I pose a few questions to everyone:
- What size or sizes of KeepCup do you own?
- How mindful are you and have you found people around you of the shot-count of 12oz, 14oz and 16 oz cups?
- How many shots of coffee are you happy to consume each day?
- Do you have a 14 or 16oz that you only use for Hot Chocolate, Chai or Green Tea, but not a 2 or 3 shot coffee?
I love supporting the KeepCup as our first push-bike delivered product -- and tackling the barriers to adoption such as colour and branding is a stimulating challenge -- I'd appreciate your help around.
Any ideas we can kick-off push-bike distribution in NZ?
Keep up the good habits!
Colin
this|vision
this|group - deliver something good
By Colin Wirt, 14 August 2010