Brewing Change: Western Australia's Bold Move to Ban Single-Use Coffee Cups

Get ready to raise your coffee mugs in praise because Western Australia is tackling the single-use cup problem head-on! With their groundbreaking Plan for Plastics, they're on a mission to phase-out of single-use coffee cups and lids, which will be in effect on 1st March 2024. We applaud Western Australia for leading the charge and showing us all how to create a world without waste. 

What is being banned in WA 

Western Australia has based its strategy on the waste hierarchy, prioritising an approach to avoid single-use plastics first and replacing them with reusable alternatives. Promotion of non-plastic single-use alternative is secondary, to minimise litter or contamination. By following this waste hierarchy in conjunction with the Plan for Plastics; from the 1st of March 2024, sinlge-use coffee cups and all disposable plastic cup lids will be phased out and eventually not allowed. More information on Western Australia's Plan for Plastic can be found here. 

Similar strategies around the world 

Western Australia is not the first to enact bans, and it is likely that many other governments will implement similar strategies, which is encouraged through circular economy efforts like the Ellen Macarthur Foundation and Upstream. Other countries around the world have enacted similar bans, each striving to make a difference in its own unique way.

Canada has, similarly, banned all plastics that are compostable or not, including cups, glasses, straws, polystyrene and compostable plastics. To combat these regulations, particularly coffee cups, the government has advised that cafes should provide coffee cups that are made from non-laminated paper or cardboard, whilst coffee lids should be only offered for takeout. Information Source here. 

Whilst in Killarney Ireland, single-use coffee cups are being phased out through a levie system -customers who want a takeaway coffee customers must bring in their own cup or pay a 2 euro deposit for a reusable cup that needs to be returned when the cup is given back. Information Source here

Common misconceptions about compostables 

The above bans will certainly force customers and businesses to change their attitudes and overall behaviour towards their morning coffee. However, an easy solution to these bans that businesses tend to reach for is compostable coffee cups. While this can be seen as a way to reduce single-use coffee cups from going to landfill, it is not better than a reuse option. 

The reality is that compostables are not plastic-free and are harder to process when disposed of. This is due to them having to be collected in a separate collection facility that can process them, which is often either far away or prevented from accepting them, causing increased energy and waste. Ultimately, for businesses, compostable cups negatively impact the environment and still cost money, with the average-trading cafe spending more than $20,000/year AU on just disposable coffee cups & lids alone. Even for customers who use compostable cups with the best intention in mind - using a compostable coffee cup can be just as easy to litter and end up in a landfill, similar to a single-use cup. You can read our blog post on why reuse is better than compostables here. 

Perceived barriers to reuse

An easy and simple solution to using compostable cups is reuse; however, when approaching cafes, roasteries and venues, they can often shy away from reuse. This reluctance usually encompasses:

1. Reuse costs too much to implement

It can be perceived that reuse costs too much to implement; however, this is not the case. A Reuse system like HuskeeSwap can save a cafe over $2,300 a year if 10% of their customers are swapping. With many restaurants and cafes already serving food on reusable food service ware eg. ceramic plates, reuse can be easily accommodated in dishwashing process, and costs are minimal.

2. We already sell cups and encourage BYO 

Selling reusable cups and encouraging BYO is a great step in the right direction, but it is usually only a small step that can be bigger with reuse. It is important to consider that BYO systems put most of the onus on the customer to remember their cup and have to choose the default: single-use cups. Further, using a BYO system can cause logistical issues that can negatively affect cafe workflow, causing an unpleasant experience for both the barista and the customer. 

3.No one will care or use them 

Single-use coffee cup waste is one that is extremely prevalent; how often do you see rubbish bins with single-use coffee cups overflowing near your local shopping centre or local cafe? This issue, being seen in everyday life, often pushes consumers to rethink their actions and make a change. By being a cafe that offers a simple and easy reuse system, you can create new and loyal customers that are environmentally conscious and empower existing customers to form new positive change.

Why Huskee and HuskeeSwap

As an Australian design company and global leader in reuse/refill systems, we understand cafes. This is why we have designed HuskeeSwap to be a simple reuse system to implement whilst also being cost-effective for businesses and customers. HuskeeSwap is an opt-in purchase model that adds additional revenue for businesses in a number of ways, including cups sold as retail and ongoing savings on disposable packaging costs. Want to know more more information? You can view our Cafe benefits document here. Businesses can also save significant money using HuskeeSwap compared to disposables. There are low startup costs, with a purchase of a float of a minimum of 24 cups, which is on rotation to supplement HuskeeCups brought in by customers. Not only does this reduce costs, but it is a massive win for saving bench space in a busy cafe. Overall, by being a part of the HuskeeSwap program, you are displaying an important commitment to integrating reuse behaviour. While also implementing an elegant experience for customers and businesses.

Successful HuskeeSwap customers

Don't just take it from us; we already have 33 cafes in Western Australia that are a part of HuskeeSwap and 1,1000 globally. Beachside Barista, a coffee van located in Ocean Reef, has implemented HuskeeSwap and has achieved some amazing results, including:

• Eliminated 7,300 single-use plastic items at the source
• Adding an additional $400 of revenue through Huskee sales in 2022
• Saved over $1,160 in single-use packaging costs

To see more stats of other businesses that have implemented HuskeSwap, head here.

Summary

The Plan for Plastics in Western Australia signifies a proactive approach to reducing single-use plastics and protecting our environment. With the implementation of Stage 2, the ban on various single-use items will pave the way for more sustainable practices in Australia and globally. HuskeeSwap offers businesses and customers a practical and eco-friendly solution to eliminate disposable cups. By promoting reuse and providing convenient alternatives, HuskeeSwap aims to make sustainability the norm in coffee consumption. Together, we can have a significant impact on reducing plastic waste.