The ‘first-of-its-kind’ initiative in Bristol will test whether a scheme with no deposits or app can be replicated city-wide.
Ecosurety and UWE Bristol, alongside SUEZ, Re-uz UK and Hubbub, have launched ‘Lendable’, a year-long reusable cup scheme across UWE Bristol’s Frenchay Campus.
The scheme is designed to test whether removing the deposit, app, and registration process can drive higher participation rates and provide a scalable alternative to single-use cups.
Richard Marriott, Head of Reuse at Ecosurety, commented: “For too long, reuse has often been presented as the harder option. We wanted to flip that on its head and make reuse the easiest choice people can make.”
“No deposits, no apps and no friction. Just take your drink, enjoy it and return the cup to a purple bin when you’re done.”
“If we’re going to scale reuse, it has to work seamlessly for both consumers and businesses, and that’s exactly what we’re testing with Lendable.”
Under the scheme, hot and cold drinks purchased from participating UWE outlets, including Costa Coffee, Subway and the Students’ Union Bar, will be served in purple reusable cups.
Users then return the cups to one of 80 dedicated purple collection bins located across campus.
Students and staff will also have the opportunity to win prizes of up to £250 per month, linked to cup return rates across campus, to encourage widespread participation.
As part of its ongoing partnership with UWE Bristol, SUEZ has helped facilitate the programme and will collect data and insights throughout the trial, alongside managing the associated logistics.
SUEZ will collect the cups from campus and deliver them to Re-uz UK, specialists in reusable packaging systems, for professional washing and sanitisation.
Once cleaned, the cups are returned to UWE Bristol ready for reuse, creating a fully circular system.
The reusable cups use up to 50% less material than conventional reusable cups to reduce their environmental impact.
Jo Dainton, Head of Circular Economy at UWE Bristol, commented: “Lendable gives us a unique opportunity to test and evaluate circular economy solutions in a real-world environment while creating valuable learning, research and skills-development opportunities for our students and staff.”
“It demonstrates how universities can play a leading role in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable future.”