How Many Coffees Before Your Reusable Cup Pays Off?
Many UK coffee chains offer a discount when customers purchase a reusable cup for their in-store coffees. Researchers at Business Waste have analysed the prices, comparing branded reusable cup incentives from six UK businesses.
Our research reveals that Greggs has the shortest payback period, while Black Sheep Coffee has the longest. Reusable cups are a great way to reduce the use of disposable coffee cups. However, the financial benefit to the consumer depends on how frequently they use them, upfront costs, and the incentives they receive.
TLDR: Reusable coffee cup findings
- Branded reusable cups analysed took between 12 and 115 qualifying drinks to pay for themselves.
- The fastest payback was Greggs, where a £3 cup and 25p drink discount meant customers could recover the cost after 12 drinks.
- The longest payback was Black Sheep Coffee, where a £22.99 cup and 20p discount meant customers would need around 115 lattes.
- At one qualifying coffee per working day, payback ranged from around two weeks and two working days to 23 working weeks.
Our calculation uses a medium latte and either a direct discount or an estimated loyalty reward value.
Reusable cup payback by coffee chain
Our analysis revealed the following results for the six chains:
- Black Sheep Coffee: £22.99 cheapest branded cup, 20p saving per drink, 115 drinks to pay back, around 23 working weeks.
- Starbucks: £12.95 cup, 25p saving per drink, 52 drinks, around 10 weeks and two working days.
- Costa Coffee: £11 cup, estimated 42p value per reusable cup bean, 27 drinks, around five weeks and two working days.
- Caffè Nero: £11 cup, estimated 43p value per additional loyalty stamp, 25 drinks, around five weeks and one working day.
- Pret A Manger: £10 estimated cup price, 50p discount, 20 drinks, around four working weeks.
- Greggs: £3 cup, 25p discount, 12 drinks, around two weeks and two working days.
The difference is driven mainly by the upfront cup price and the value of the reusable-cup incentive. A cheaper cup with a modest discount can pay back faster than a more expensive cup with a similar discount.
Costa and Caffè Nero work differently because they provide an extra loyalty reward rather than a direct till discount. To compare them fairly, we valued the extra Bean or stamp using the price of a latte and the number of rewards needed for a free drink.
How much could customers save each year?
Once the reusable cup has paid for itself, customers can start to build up savings. If, for instance, customers buy one coffee per working day, they will make around 260 purchases a year. Depending on the reusable cup price, this translates to:
- 25p saving over 260 drinks = £65 before cup cost
- 50p saving over 260 drinks = £130 before cup cost
- 20p saving over 260 drinks = £52 before cup cost
Why reusable cups matter for waste reduction
Disposable coffee cups are difficult to recycle because they are often made from mixed paper and plastic layers. They are also commonly contaminated with drink residue.
Around 2.5 billion coffee cups are used and thrown away in the UK each year, and fewer than one in 400 are recycled (UK Parliament). The importance of switching to reusable cups is clear. The fewer disposable cups sent to landfill, the better.
What can coffee chains do to make reusable cups work better?
Coffee shops have a responsibility to help reduce the number of disposable cups reaching landfill. Reusable cup incentives should be visible at the till, on the menu board and on the app (if applicable). The scheme should be easy to understand and should also offer something back to the customer for their loyalty.
If you run a coffee shop, consider training staff to prompt reusable cup use naturally within customer interactions. For sites based in high-footfall areas such as offices, campuses, festivals or transport hubs, borrow-and-return schemes might be a feasible improvement.
Lastly, ensure clearly labelled containers are available for coffee cups, packaging, cardboard, food waste and general waste.
Mark Hall, Waste Management Expert, comments:
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