Waitrose to scrap all takeaway coffee cups by the end of the summer

Friday 03 August 2018

Waitrose’s two Guernsey stores will stop giving away takeaway coffee cups by the end of this month as the supermarket commits to reducing the amount of plastic and packaging it uses amid growing awareness of the environmental problems such waste is causing.

Members of the supermarket’s loyalty scheme, myWaitrose, will continue to have the option to enjoy a free hot drink from the shop’s self-serve machine, however customers will be asked to bring their own reusable cup to use rather than being offered a disposable cup when they go through the checkout.

Waitrose first announced the change in April and the plan was to phase the programme out completely by the autumn across all its branches.  The Channel Islands stores have been one of the first areas to achieve this target.

The supermarket chain said removing the cups further underlines its commitment to reducing its impact on the environment and its use of plastics and packaging. It recently pledged to not sell any own label food in black plastic beyond 2019 - an earlier date than any other supermarket. It has also committed to make all own-label packaging widely recyclable (using the widely recycled logo), reusable, or home compostable by 2025.  

Ian Burdekin, branch manager of Waitrose Admiral Park and Channel Islands director said: “Waitrose has committed to save more than 52 million takeaway cups a year to help protect the environment.  We are not alone in the commitment to reduce plastic and packaging and firmly believe it is the right direction to take in order to support the environment.

“It is good to see that our Channel Islands branches will have achieved the target of withdrawing the takeaway cups well before the autumn deadline.

“We continue to encourage myWaitrose customers to bring in their own reusable cups when they visit our shops to benefit from our free hot drink service.”