Dubai: A Dubai Municipality message doing the rounds on social media has sparked an unlikely debate on the need for you to take your own cups to coffee shops, instead of using the plastic and paper cups available there.
“Imagine how this will help to preserve the planet from the waste of disposable coffee cups,” says the Municipality message, making you think over your cuppa.
Own cup
A visit to some cafes in town revealed that they are more than willing to let you enjoy your coffee in your own cup – provided you bring it along.
But as one customer at the Dubai Health Care City outlet of a well-known American coffee shop chain said, “I find it a bother to be carrying my own cup around. It’s rather inconvenient.”
Another customer said, “I didn’t know about this option. I think it is a great idea. But just one question: whose responsibility is it to wash my cup and wipe it once I’ve had my coffee?”
While such questions beg answers, especially when the scales go up, many coffee shops are promoting the green cause in their own way. Costa Coffee UAE, for instance, has introduced reusable cups and is incentivising anyone who is willing to use them.
Shemaine Jones, head of marketing at Costa Coffee UAE, said, “As a global business, we wholeheartedly support any initiative that champions sustainable practices. We have our own range of reusable cups, which is available at all Costa outlets across the UAE, and we offer a free cup of coffee to customers for each reusable cup purchased.”
Jones said, “At Costa, we have a number of policies in place, including our coffee beans which are sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.”
Incentives
Dunkin Donuts too is offering incentives to promote recycling. Marwan Salha, CEO of Continental Food Establishment, the sole franchisee of the coffee and baked goods brand in the UAE, said, “Dunkin’ Donuts offers a range of well-designed travel mugs that accompany customers in style through their day – and they get their first coffee free on purchasing a mug. We’re also offering a Dh1 discount for every refill.” Salha said the Dunkin’ Donuts travel mugs come in single serve, multiple serve and thermos sizes, so customers can enjoy a freshly brewed cup of premium coffee while helping save the environment. “Dunkin’ Donuts are in full support of the Dubai Municipality’s campaign to encourage customers to take their own cups to coffee shops to reduce plastic and paper cup use,” Salha added.
The need for sustainable practices at coffee shops has long been debated in the West as conventional takeaway cups, made from paper, are coated with plastic, making recycling difficult. The introduction of fully recyclable cups by some chains has infused fresh hope that they would divert the traditional coffee shop cups away from landfills. While there are no official figures on the number of cups generated by coffee shops in the UAE, one estimate puts the number in the UK at 70 million per day.
