Our innovative reusable cup pilot scheme comes to an end

More than 1,050 single-use cups have been saved thanks to Cup Movement® in the Highlands, our innovative reusable cup scheme across the North Coast 500, piloted between April and October this year.

More than 260 people downloaded the Vytal App and checked out at least one cup during the pilot, with one very active customer checking out 66 Vytal cups during the campaign.

This is an exciting outcome and we are working with a number of the participating businesses to assist them to transition to working directly with Vytal to continue to encourage reusable cups and reduce single-use cups in the Highlands.

We will be highlighting the businesses who choose to continue in the coming weeks and we would also encourage any Highland businesses interested in working with Vytal and expanding the reusable cup network to get in touch at highlandcup@keepscotlandbeautiful.org before the end of November if you would like to get involved. 

Launched in response to the impact single-use cups are having on Scotland’s environment, Cup Movement® in the Highlands aimed to reduce the number of single-use cups used in Scotland. Of the 200 million single-use cups used and discarded across the country every year, only 4% of those are recycled.

Catherine Gee, our Deputy CEO, said: "I’d like to thank everyone involved in the pilot, from customers and businesses to funders and supporters. We will continue to trial innovative schemes such as this to make it easier for people to do the right thing and enjoy guilt free takeaway drinks.”

Funded through the Bring It Back Fund, a £1.4 million fund from Hubbub and Starbucks to support innovation in reuse, Cup Movement® in the Highlands used innovative app technology from cup system suppliers Vytal to allow people to borrow, use and return a cup rather than take a single-use one for their hot drinks.

Visit Cup Movement | Keep Scotland Beautiful for more information on our work to reduce single-use cups in Scotland.