Waitrose to remove all disposable coffee cups in its shops
Waitrose has taken the decision to remove all takeaway disposable coffee cups from its shops by the autumn as part of its commitment to reduce its impact on the environment.
The supermarket will initially remove disposable cups in nine branches from 30 April before rolling the removal out across all of its stores in a phased programme by the autumn. Customers will be informed before the change comes into effect in their local shop.
In a statement, Waitrose said members of the My Waitrose loyalty scheme will continue to have the option of having a free tea or coffee from their shop’s self-serve machine but in the coming weeks will be asked to bring their own reusable cup rather than being offered a disposable coffee cup when they go through the checkout.
In addition, My Waitrose members will no longer be able to claim their free hot drink in Waitrose’s 180 in-store cafes to avoid customers without a reusable cup putting increased pressure on its hospitality areas. Instead, My Waitrose members who purchase a tea or coffee in a cafe will be offered a choice of food options for free or with a discount. These will vary each month.
Tor Harris, head of sustainability and responsible sourcing at Waitrose, said: “We realise this is a major change, but we believe removing all takeaway disposable cups is the right thing to do for our business and are confident the majority of customers will support the environmental benefits. It underlines our commitment to plastic and packaging reduction and our aim is to deliver this as quickly as possible.”
