Same taste, less waste - Bring It!

Date:

19 Jan 2022, 12:00 am

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The South Taranaki District Council, Sustainable Taranaki, and eateries across South Taranaki are teaming up to make it easier for customers to make the switch to reusable coffee cups and food containers.

As part of the Bring It! campaign, cafes and food businesses across the district are encouraging customers to bring their own takeaway containers and coffee cups so that these can be used when purchasing takeaway food and drinks. Some Bring It! eateries will even provide a discount when you bring your own cup/container.

Reducing food packaging waste is a pressing issue across Aotearoa. Over 295 million takeaway coffee cups, and even more single-use containers, end up in New Zealand landfills each year. Single-use coffee cups and dirty plastic containers aren’t recyclable, and compostable cups and containers need to go to a commercial composting facility to break down. An estimated three million coffee cups and lids sadly go to landfill in our region each year after a single use, along with a growing number of food containers.

So, the best choice for environmental sustainability is to instead bring your own clean reusable cup and container whenever you order takeaway food or coffee.

"I'm excited to see businesses engaging in more sustainable habits that cut costs, support customer values, and protect the environment," says Andrea Rowe, Project Partnership Manager for Sustainable Taranaki.

By supporting Bring It! eateries, you’re minimising waste, supporting local, and getting some delicious kai all at the same time. Better yet, you’re even helping businesses lower their running costs that they would otherwise have to put towards single-use packaging. Talk about a win win!

“One less coffee cup may not seem like a huge difference by itself, but the benefits of this simple change in habit really add up over time,” says Environment and Sustainability Summer Student Joel Clement.

The New Plymouth District Council and Sustainable Taranaki initiated the Bring It! campaign in early 2021 with an initial focus on reusable coffee cups. This has since been expanded to encourage the use of reusable food containers, and the South Taranaki District Council is now bringing the campaign to food businesses across South Taranaki.

Keep an eye out for the Bring It! posters in participating food businesses. You can click here to find a full list of South Taranaki Bring It! businesses.

Have questions, or know a local business wanting to get involved? Get in touch with us at envirosus@stdc.govt.nz.

Participating Businesses: