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Last year, our campus community helped save an incredible 40,059 disposable cups from landfill, simply by bringing their own cup or using our returnable cup scheme.

This year in January alone, 35% of all coffees sold across Sussex Uni Food outlets were served in a reusable option, bringing us even closer to our sustainability goal of hitting 50% by the end of the academic year.

To help us get there, we’re launching a special promotion to make joining the returnable cup scheme scheme easier (and tastier!) than ever.

A special promotion to celebrate sustainability

If you join the returnable cup scheme between Monday 23 February and Friday 6 March you’ll get your first four hot drinks half price!

How it works:

- Visit Botanical Café, Library Café or Eat Central during the promotion window to purchase your returnable cup for £3.95 and collect your promotion stamp card.

- When you’re done with your cup, drop it off at any Sussex Uni Food outlet* and collect a keyring token.

- The next time you come in to buy a hot drink, exchange your keyring token for a fresh hot drink in a new returnable cup!

- Keep hold of your stamp card to get your first four drinks at half price!

*For logistical reasons the Returnable Cup Scheme is not currently running at Doctor’s Orders café.

Enjoying your drinks in this way is a simple, convenient way to cut waste on campus. So far, 2,679 people have already joined the scheme, a huge community effort that’s directly reducing our environmental footprint.

Remember - every time you choose a reusable option, you avoid paying the 30p charge added to drinks served in disposable cups.

Your questions answered!

Q: What if I lose my cup?

A: We encourage people to take care of the cups as if it was their own reusable one. But if you don’t want to carry it around or think you might lose it, the cup can be returned at these Sussex Uni Food cafés: Eat Central, Botanical Café, the Library Café and the Veg Bowl @ Dhaba, as well as the ACCA. We will give you a token that clips onto your keyring, which you can exchange for a clean cup on your next purchase.

Q: I really like coffee – can I get a bigger cup?

A: Absolutely. We have 12oz and 16oz available.

Q: Why does it cost £3.95 to join?

A: Compared to the prices of reusable cups, a returnable scheme is not pricey. A one-time fee gives access to the scheme during your time at the University. Apart from being convenient, you don’t have to pay the disposable cup surcharge of 30p.

Q: Why is the scheme not running in Doctor’s Orders?

A: The logistics of washing the cups in circulation means it’s currently not possible to run the scheme at Doctor’s Orders, but we’re working on it.

Q: What if I leave the University?

A: Our returnable cup initiative does not work on a deposit basis, which is why we do not offer the option of a refund. But you can take your cup with you!

Q: If I’m just visiting the University, do I need to enrol into the scheme?

A: We will not be getting rid of disposable cups completely. While we will try to minimise the use of single-use cups, we do not expect visitors and guests to be part of the scheme and we will still have disposable cups available.