A guide to cafés doing it right

Social enterprise UYOC (Use Your Own Cup) – pronounced “you-yok” is an online guide of responsible cafes around New Zealand who actively welcome customers to use their own cups. Cafés pay $1 a day to be listed on the site and all profits are distributed to New Zealand NGOs and registered charities who are working to defend the natural world and alleviate suffering. With UYOC you can find cafés that sell reusable cups, will discount your take out if you ‘use your own cup’, will refill your water bottle, don’t serve plastic straws, have free wifi, serve vegan options, gluten-free and organic food, welcome breastfeeding mothers, pour ethically sourced coffee, responsibly process their food waste, and welcome pets. UYOC founder Laura Cope, who hails from Dunedin, says they are working towards a cup swap system aka mug library nationally that provides a convenient solution for customers who love to use their Keep Cups, but forget them or forget to wash them. UYOC has also been selected as one of three finalists in the Most Sustainable Business Project category of the Beautiful Awards.