Most cups used in coffee chains aren’t recyclable.

Going green is not just a trend, it’s a concept that is here to stay and for the right reasons. As a business owner, applying sustainable policies is going to be one of your smartest decisions. You would gain loyal customers if you get rid off disposable cups and replace them with sustainable ones.

Although there is the inconvenient tendency of grabbing your coffee and leaving the shop quickly, these days people are more conscious. They know that the disposable ones end up polluting our oceans and forests. If you deeply think about it, that type of client can be a great niche for your business, if you are still figuring that out!

Yes, you probably believe that your cups are made out of paper, but the fact is that the paper is covered with a film of plastic that stops it from getting soggy and therefore, being biodegradable. This is the main reason why it results in tonnes of waste every year!

According to Carbon Rally, in the U.S, single-use cups that are thrown away each year make up for an estimated of 14.4 million units. That amount adds up about 3.6 million pounds of CO2 emissions annually.

If these matters concern you, thankfully there are ways you can help stop earth's pollution. Keep reading to know more about sustainable cups and the business strategies you can use to convince your clients!

Sustainable coffee cups

In the market, there are many sustainable coffee cups options to choose from. And there are two types you can purchase: takeaways and biodegradable cups. We will illustrate for you these two options and show you other tips on how to turn your coffee shop into a green alternative. Please, take notes!

Takeaway cups

Selling reusable cups can turn out as a very profitable idea. They are a simple solution for someone who just wants to take their coffee while running into the office and you can even put your shop's logo on them! If you start looking, there are ones made out of glass, aluminum, and silicone. Just make sure they come in an appropriate size for your coffee machines!

Biodegradable cups

There are also many eco-friendly compostable cups made out of sustainable paper. And you can find that most of them come from 100% renewable resources. This type of material has a compound that will decompose paper as a fertilizer and soil amendment. The options are almost endless, and they are totally worth it!

What about spoons?

Along with changing the cups, you can also replace stirring rods with metallic spoons. After all, these two basically work together, just like the good old days! This change can save you a lot of money. Spoons are nice, durable, classy, and affordable. But remember to add two large containers, one for the dirty ones and the other for the clean spoons that are ready to be used.

How to convince your clients

It is all a matter of proper education. You may explain the benefits of this new habit with fun infographics and signs! Give your baristas the same talk, so they know what to answer to any of your client's questions surrounding this subject.

Give them a discount if they bring their own cup!

They can bring their own mug if they have time for a good talk with friends. Create the perfect atmosphere for that to happen.

Create a collecting area for biodegradable cups. Most people do not know what to do with their waste, especially if it is recyclable. This is a good way to make sure the cups are going to be recycled or composted, and a strategy to give your clients a reason to visit and give back the cup they took the other day.

At Coffland Corp, we believe in environmentally friendly techniques to make the coffee drinking experiences as sustainable as they can be. That is why we respect fair trade policies and are specialty coffee providers. Contact us to know more about our services!