The Reusable Café Project

The Reusable Café Project was designed to inform EPA decision-making on the phase-out of single-use coffee cups and similar items across NSW.

Participating businesses developed creative ways to encourage customers to choose a reusable cup or mug instead of a single-use take-away cup. The café owners reported reducing packaging costs, gaining new customers, and engaging more with regulars and the community as a result.

The project was commissioned under the EPA’s Waste and Sustainable Materials strategy (WaSM) and the results will support policies included in the NSW Plastics: The Way Forward paper. Working with several cafés across greater Sydney, the project explored how cafés can motivate customers to choose reuse, as well as the challenges they face. It also saved a lot of single-use cups and plastic lids from landfill during the pilot phase.

Benefits of reusables

• reduces single-use plastic items being sent to landfill
• achieves packaging cost savings for café owners 
• increases business profile in the community
• boosts café’s reputation as a sustainable business
• demonstrates ease of positive change
• models behaviour change for customers, who in turn model sustainable practices to their families and friends
• starts conversations, raises awareness, educates and encourages community engagement.

Examples of successful ideas and initiatives

• mug libraries and borrow cups
• incentives, like discounts for BYO reusables and BYO reusable loyalty cards
• disincentives, like surcharges for single-use cups
• social media campaigns featuring actual customers
• branding opportunities, like selling keep cups
• activities and events, such as reusable challenges and BYO cup days
• community involvement, like call outs for donations of unwanted cups and mugs.

Reusable Café Project case studies

• BYO reusables happy hour case study
• Mug library case study
• 3-week reusable cup challenge case study

See all case studies

Reusable Café Project how-to guides and facts sheets

• How to guide: Choosing your reusables and planning for success
• How to guide: Measuring your reusables progress
• Fact sheet: Five tips to reuse success

See all fact sheets

Key findings

Read the project report.