COLUMBUS COFFEE SHOP REUSE PILOT

"Love the coffee, skip the waste."

In the News

Columbus Free Press, Dec 24, 2024 — "Central Ohio Reuse Coalition to Launch Circular Economy Pilot in Bexley and Columbus"

The Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 20, 2024 — "You'll Soon Be Able to Check Out Coffee Cups Like Library Books at Two Columbus Area Shops"

WOSU Public Media, Dec. 20, 2024 — "Reusable cup program to launch at two Columbus-area coffee shops in new year"

Where to Get Your Cup

Benefits

• Every reuse keeps single-use items out of the environment and puts a dent in the half-million single-use coffee cups discarded in Columbus every day.
• Shops (not customers!) clean and sanitize the cups.
• Customers use a simple app to track reuse and environmental impact.
• Foundation for a network of retail locations with reusable cups.

How Does It Work?

• Cups are managed like library books: Check out >> Use >> Return >> Check out again.
• Customers join the program for $10, then use the Okapi app to check out containers.
• Check out up to two cups at a time.
• Return to a participating cafe within 2 weeks.
• Forgot your cup? No problem; get another one!
• Coffee shop (not you!) cleans the cup.

The Columbus reuse pilot is funded with a grant from the City of Columbus.

The Bexley reuse pilot is funded in part by a grant from Upstream Solutions.

The Worthington Green Team is operating the Cafe Graciela and Kittie's reuse pilots. They are funded with a grant from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO).

In Columbus, 500,000 disposable coffee cups are thrown away each day! Every time you drink with a reusable cup you are keeping single use waste out of the environment.

Coffee Shop Reuse Network

CORC's long term goal is to create a network of cafes powered by the Okapi platform. With a network of cafes, you can buy your coffee in one shop and drop the cup off in another network shop, getting a clean cup with your next order.

Our objective is to demonstrate that an open-loop, reuse network can succeed and provide a healthier, more sustainable model for take-out beverages than the current linear make-take-waste model of disposable cups.

Central Ohio has over 90 independently owned coffee shops. With even modest participation, this program will divert thousands of disposable coffee cups from landfill, reduce litter, and lay the foundations for a circular economy. *

Single use containers have a huge negative impact on the environment. Did you know that Americans use over 130 million disposable cups per day?

* A circular Economy minimizes waste and promotes sustainable use of natural resources through smarter product design, longer use, reuse, and regenerating nature.

Cool! How Can I Get Involved?

Whether you are a coffee aficionado, work in a coffee shop, own a coffee shop, or just care about a clean environment and healthy families, we'd love to hear from you!

Click below to start a discussion.