Stamford Climate Action Group praises The Blonde Beet for reusable cup scheme

The Blonde Beet in Stamford recently launched their reusable coffee cup scheme, writes Amanda Wheeler, vice chairperson of Stamford Town Council’s Climate Action Committee

Aimed at reducing the waste involved in disposable coffee cups, their branded reusable cups can be bought or returned for a deposit of £3. Or customers can bring in their own cups for filling.

It’s easy to make the change to reusable cups. And most cafes are happy to oblige, some even knocking a few pence off the bill if you provide your own cup.

Even supermarkets are joining in on the act. Waitrose has topped the Greenpeace plastic footprint league of UK supermarkets for their action on waste and now, if you go to one of their cafes or shops for a takeaway coffee, you need to bring your own cup or, if you forget, you can purchase one of their reusable cups for £4.

Whilst this is very encouraging news on the coffee front, Waitrose and other supermarkets are all still selling single-use plastic water bottles. A much better alternative would be to provide in-store water taps and sell reusable water bottles alongside this, in much the same way that Waitrose is already doing with coffee.

Last month was the hottest June in the UK (since records began in 1884) and, to keep cool and hydrated during hot temperatures, people need to drink water regularly.

Providing free access to water has to be a priority as the temperature continues to rise in the years ahead. During last summer’s heatwave, SKDC handed out plastic water bottles to many people in need across the district to prevent dehydration. Thoughtful though this was, the environmental impact of this should not be ignored. A single-use plastic water bottle takes 400 years to break down. 91% of the plastic from water bottles isn’t recycled and ends up in our oceans, polluting our waters and disrupting our ecosystems.

We’ve got some fabulous Stamford branded items appearing in our local independent shops, such as hats, t-shirts and bags. So why not Stamford branded refillable water bottles to encourage everyone to go plastic-free? And who knows, one day there may even be an easily accessible drinking water fountain in Stamford.