Choose to Reuse Marlborough

Envirohub Marlborough has launched an exciting new campaign,

Choose to Reuse Marlborough.

Our vision.. To have reusable cups as the #1 choice

for hot beverages in Marlborough.

Components of the Campaign

The campaign began with the June 2021 “Bring your Own Cup” Survey. This was aimed at the general community and in particular, hot takeaway beverage drinkers. This was followed closely by a second survey directed at cafes or businesses that sell hot takeaway beverages. Both of these surveys gave us (and are still giving) valuable information about Marlborough’s coffee culture whilst preparing our Marlborough audience for the campaign that was to follow.
Next step was the launch of our campaign name and logo. This was designed to be specific to Marlburians and connect with them on a local level.
“BYO Cup Monday” for the month of July followed the launch of the logo. Locals were encouraged to ‘Choose to Reuse’ by bringing their own cup for takeaway beverages. Locals and local cafes/businesses could share photos on social media of Malburians enjoying a hot beverage in their own BYO cup to promote reusables and have a chance to win prizes.
Social media is an integral part of continuing to promote and encourage the ‘Choose to Reuse Marlborough’ message along with other important messages like encouraging drinkers to slow down and sit in, for children to encourage their parents to “Think before you drink” and to avoid texting in orders if they only come in single use cups. Messaging from campaigns around the country will also be used. Eg. uyo.nz
Reusable Workshout Kits are an exciting part of the campaign also. These will be provided to Marlborough cafes (the more funding we get the more cafes we can support). The kits will include reusable coffee cups and a carrier. Marlburians want to share the love with their friends and coworkers and now they can in a way that is also kind to the environment.
We hope this campaign will grow and that the cafes and coffee vendors in Marlborough will make it their own. We would love to have the campaign be able to support cafes who would like to move towards being single use cup free through cup swap programs (Again Again and CupCycling are two NZ-wide ones).

Why do we need this Campaign

295 million beverage cups (many of them hot, takeaway beverage cups) are thrown away each year in New Zealand. 295 Million! These single use cups are produced using valuable resources and then used only a few minutes! As we currently don’t have commercial composting in Marlborough the “compostable” or “biodegradable” cups are also heading to the landfill and are actually even worse environmentally! Recycling isn’t an option either for most single use coffee cups as they generally made with paper or cardboard and then lined with plastic. In the past decade the amount of rubbish going to municipal landfills in New Zealand rose by 48% . We cannot continue like this. Using precious resources to create single use items and then promptly adding them to growing landfills. We desperately need to think before we drink and choose reusables.

What Marlburians are saying in our June 2021 “Bring your Own Cup” Survey

80% of our survey respondents own a BYO cup for hot beverages, but less than 40% “often” or “always” bring it. We need to get the word out about the importance of choosing to reuse and to make BYO cup a normal, everyday thing. More than 70% of respondents said they would be more likely to go to a cafe making an effort to reduce single use cups. Let’s support the Marlborough cafes who are working to reduce waste and normalize reusables. Let’s encourage more cafes to join the reuse revolution!

Who is Behind this Campaign

Envirohub Marlborough Charitable Trust is a nonprofit organization in Marlborough. Our goal is to support a community focused on sustainability, working together to enhance and protect our Marlborough environment.

We would love to help your cafe reduce single use cups! Please let us know how we can be of assistance. If you would like a "Reusable Cups Welcome Here" sticker for your door or coffee machine we will deliver it to you.

Please contact Heather Barnes, Zero Waste Coordinator at zerowaste@envirohub.co.nz