More than 1,000 single-use cups saved by Cup Movement® in the Highlands

More than 1,000 single-use cups have been saved thanks to Cup Movement® in the Highlands, our innovative resuable cup scheme across the North Coast 500.

But, there is still time to borrow a cup or switch to using your own and prevent more cups being ditched after just one use by visiting one of the participating stores taking part around the North Coast 500.

Launched in response to the impact single-use cups are having on Scotland’s environment, Cup Movement in the Highlands aims 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.

Furthermore, our survey found that 81% of people in the Highlands thought takeaway venues needed to do more to make it easier for people to buy and use reusable cups.

Catherine Gee, our Deputy CEO, said: “We’re delighted to have passed the 1,000 cups mark, a fantastic milestone that shows a borrowing scheme like this can work across a large rural area.

“Single-use cups are a huge contributor to both Scotland’s litter and climate emergencies and it’s vital that we continue to trial these new and innovative schemes to try to find solutions to tackle these issues. The response to this pilot, from both the businesses involved and the customers who have participated, has been fantastic and gives us a clear indication that there is a desire for change, and what can and does work.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved, 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 uses 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. 

A forthcoming report will be published highlighting successes, key learnings and recommendations for the future, and we will be holding a webinar in early 2024 for all relevant stakeholders.

Keep Scotland Beautiful is committed to reducing the number of single-use cups being used across the country. Our two campaigns - Cup Movement® in the Highlands and Take It Back, currently running in Glasgow and Dundee – aim to shift behaviours and ensure that single-use cups are either recycled correctly or not used at all.

Visit Cup Movement | Keep Scotland Beautiful for more information.