THE GREEN RACE
Australia is a nation of coffee lovers, but as the recycling revolution gathers pace, businesses have found themselves in a race to flex their green credentials.
How coffee brands are flexing their green credentials.
The influence of recycling initiatives on the retail industry has hit dizzying heights of late, with the plastic bag ban in full effect, but as the year presses on it’s the nation’s coffee providers that are eager to serve up a sustainable cup.
Recent demand has seen a monumental shift in attitudes regarding recycling and single-use plastic, with takeaway coffee cups the latest product on the provisional chopping block.
Each year, Australians use around one billion disposable coffee cups, with the majority of those ending up in landfill. Following the nation’s tough stance on plastic bags, coffee providers are now racing to curb their contribution.
“Rather than competing on price or time, green credentials offer a way for retailers to differentiate themselves,” says Gary Mortimer, associate professor of marketing and international business at the Queensland University of Technology.
With today’s digital age placing emphasis on social responsibility more than ever before, businesses that leverage their sustainable practices reap the rewards of ethical operations. The psychological effect has the potential to drive sales and create brand loyalty, something all businesses in the crowded cafe scene are desperate for.
So which franchises are making an early push to get consumers on-side?
7-ELEVEN
The convenience giants announced in late July two Australian-first recycling initiatives. Following an initial partnership with recycling program, Simply Cups beginning in March, the brand has now released the rCUP, the world’s first reusable mug made entirely out of takeaway coffee cups.
Made from six recycled cups collected from the Simply Cups UK program, the rCUP is 100 per cent leak-proof and fully insulated, ensuring hot drinks stay warm for longer.
The rCUP’s release also coincided with the announcement that plastic straws, coffee cups and Slurpee-type cups are now recyclable at 200 7-Eleven stores across the nation.
Since the recycling partnership with Simply Cups was launched in March, 1.48 million cups have been collected and given new life as hospital trays and other products.
“We have a new partnership with a company that has developed cutting-edge technology to recycle plastic waste into a dough-like plastic material that can be moulded into new products including rCUPs, furniture and car park bumpers,” says Rob Pascoe, Simply Cups founder.
“This locally developed technology is the first of its kind in the world and to continue to develop it we need the community’s help to recycle their takeaway cups and plastic straws.”
MUFFIN BREAK
No stranger to coffee innovation, Muffin Break has been working on refining its recycling initiative for over a year.
The casual dining restaurant was the first brand to offer specialty milks at no extra cost following consumer demand, and this year opened its ears once again, making the move to sustainable practices.
“Over almost 30 years in business, our success has always been to listen to our customers and ensure what is important to them is also our priority,” Natalie Brennan, Muffin Break general manager said.
“Although Australians have always been good at recycling, the realisation that a lot of what we think is being recycled ends up in landfill is not acceptable to us or our customers. The fact that there is no profit in recycling (like coffee cups) means there is a bigger picture for corporates to take on this responsibility of coming up with solutions. We are taking this responsibility very seriously to ensure that Muffin Break’s legacy is not tonnage of landfill.”
When the call for the end of single-use plastic started to brew, Brennan found that the noise was coming not just from the community, but from the franchisees themselves.
“Our franchisees are all families working in their communities, so it’s important to them to minimise our waste as business owners and community members. They are the drivers of this initiative for the brand to come up with more recycling/ repurposing/reusing initiatives,” Brennan explains.
Muffin Break also partnered with Simply Cups in an effort to repurpose single-use coffee cups, but have also found success partnering with sustainability initiative, Responsible Cafes, offering discounts to customers who present a ‘keep-cup’.
THE COFFEE CLUB
The Coffee Club has been servicing Australia since 1989, with a franchise network of over 400 cafes here and abroad.
In July, the brand announced a nationwide franchisee commitment to offer a 50-cent discount on hot beverage purchases to customers who bring a reusable cup.
Similar to Muffin Break, the decision was a reflection of both community demand and franchisee passion, says Matthew Emmerson, The Coffee Club’s head of marketing.
“Our franchisees live and work in the communities they operate in, and so it’s our responsibility that we listen to our customers’ passions, such as the health of our environment, and support when and where we can.”