Caring for the environment one cup at a time with Campbeltown EcoCups
Helping care for Kintyre’s environment – one plastic cup at a time – is the mission for a team of businesses based in the peninsula.
Powered by reusable cups from by Campbeltown Town Hall-based initiative Kintyre Climate Action, the scheme aims to get people using their own reusable cups, whether popping in on their tea break, or out spending the day in town, to help reduce plastic use.
Available from today (Friday May 10), “Campbeltown EcoCups” can be found in 11 venues in the town.
Sharyn Lock, climate action coordinator for the Kintyre Climate Action campaign, said: “There is a limited edition of 150 cups, and these would normally sell for at least £10, but are being specially subsidised so they can be bought in Campbeltown for only £5 – less than cost price.
“The cups are made of one of the world’s biggest food waste product – rice husks – and they are fully biodegradable at end of life, and dishwasher safe.
“They are tough but lightweight, and so easy to throw in your bag each day along with your phone and keys.”
Plastic waste has become a scourge for Scotland’s environment, and so often visible from the roadside.
Sharyn explained: “Singleuse cups may look like paper but they have a plastic lining, meaning they contaminate the paper recycling and so mostly end up in landfill.
“Some 388.7 million disposable cups are thrown away in Scotland every year, requiring a lot of resources to collect and process.
“Some are shipped overseas and incinerated, most get piled up in landfill, and about 40,000 end up as litter, blowing across our beautiful scenery, or polluting our lochs and seas.
“To address the huge issue of single-use waste, the Scottish Government is planning on introducing a single-use surcharge of 25p in 2025.
“Cafés will either have to absorb this or pass it on, so if people get in the habit of carrying a reusable cup they will save themselves and local businesses money.”
Cups can be purchased at Bartek’s Bistro, Fresh Connection, The Kintyre Larder, the Tasting Room, the Washback Bar, the Royal Hotel, Fetcha Chocolates, Olly’s Street Food, Campbeltown Picture House, Keeping It Local, and Kintyre Weigh Refill Shop, with some cafés offering a discount off hot drinks filled in the cups.
Linda McLean, owner of the Kintyre Larder, said: “We are very happy to support the Campbeltown EcoCup scheme.
“Anything that can reduce the amount of disposable cup waste going to landfill has to be a good thing.
“The cups are fashionable, but functional, and look really hard-wearing.”