The Hub café on the Open University campus in Milton Keynes has launched a trial initiative to reduce waste on campus. Launched on Tuesday, 8 October, the Hub has introduced a surcharge of 25p on disposable cups, with ceramic/reusable takeaway cups as the default option (unless stated otherwise).
The initiative, supported by the OU Sustainability Office and the OU Students Association Environment and Sustainability Working Group, will run until Friday, 8 November. We are excited to see its ongoing impact!
After only one week, the Hub saw a 30% reduction in disposable cups used! This is an encouraging start.
It is estimated that 2.5 billion takeaway cups in the UK go to landfill every year, and you could reduce this by making it a new habit to always bring a tea or coffee cup with you in case you get that caffeine craving (we've all been there!).