Borrow Cup
Ready to skip the disposable cup? Introducing Borrow Cup– a brand new returnable cup scheme for Glasgow, available at over 40 locations including Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero, Burger King and local cafes. Borrow Cup is a project led by environmental charity Hubbub and reuse start-up Reposit.
Why grab your next drink in a Borrow Cup?
In Scotland over 388 million disposable cups are used every year*, and in Glasgow they make up over 30% of drinks waste in on-street bins**. And while 3 in 4 of us own a personal reusable cup, only a third of us say we use one at least once a month.***
Enter Borrow Cup: a system to borrow and return a reusable cup from a cafe or restaurant – helping you skip the disposable cup, even when you’ve forgotten your reusable one!
Why’s that a good thing? Well, when a returnable cup system works, it can be better for the environment. Producing and throwing away (or even recycling) disposable cups can use more resources and create more carbon emissions than using a reusable cup over and over. The more we reuse, the more resources and emissions we save, reducing our environmental impact even more.
Oh, and you also get a discount or extra loyalty points for using Borrow Cup at most participating locations too! Check the FAQ at the bottom of the page to find out more.
So how does it work?
Where can you find a Borrow Cup?
Find all participating location on the map here! Our partners are:
- Costa Coffee – 11 locations
- Caffè Nero – 14 locations
- Burger King – 12 locations
- Tinderbox – 5 locations
- Sprigg – 3 locations
- Kelvingrove Gallery
- Glasgow City Chambers
- Plant Blonde - 2 locations
Borrow Cup will be live at these locations for an initial three-month period while we measure its impact, and hopefully we will continue and expand if it proves effective!
Want to get involved in Glasgow?
- Grab your next drink in a Borrow Cup and tell others about it! We’d love it if you could snap a pic or take a video, post it on social media, tag Hubbub and help spread the word.
- Work or study in Glasgow? Ask your building/sustainability manager if you could set up a return point in your building so you can return your Borrow Cups without even having to step outside. Or if you use disposable cups on-site, your business or building could join Borrow Cup too! Get in touch with Reposit at hello@reposit.world
- Got any feedback or ideas on how we could make Borrow Cup even better? We’d love to hear your thoughts - borrowcup@hubbub.org.uk
For businesses
- Want to spread the word about Borrow Cup? Drop us an email to receive our comms pack and help promote Borrow Cup to your network
- Would your organisation be interested in joining, supporting or funding Borrow Cup so we can scale further and save even more cups, or do you know another organisation who might? We'd love to chat
Which locations offer a discount or extra loyalty rewards?
- Costa Coffee – Costa Coffee app users earn an extra bean for using a reusable cup
- Caffè Nero – earn an extra stamp for using a reusable cup
- Sprigg – receive 10% off your drink for using a Borrow Cup
Why is there a £1 deposit?
The £1 deposit is to encourage people to return the cup. You can get your £1 back by returning the cup to any participating store.
Where can I get or return a Borrow Cup?
Borrow Cup is currently only running in Glasgow, check the map here or scan the QR code on a Borrow Cup to find all the participating locations. You can return a Borrow Cup at the till point or at an in-store return point at any participating location – it doesn’t have to be the same location or brand where you borrowed the cup from.
How long can I keep a Borrow Cup for?
There’s no time limit on this – you can return a cup on the same day, the next day, later that week, or you can keep using and refilling a Borrow Cup. If you have a Borrow Cup but you’re not using it, please return it so it can be put back into the system and reused.
What happens with the Borrow Cups once returned?
Cups are collected in an electric van and cleaned at Reposit’s professional washing facility in Wishaw. The cups are checked and any damaged or stained cups will be removed and sent for recycling.
How do the return points work?
Scan the QR code on the return point with your phone, follow the instructions and put your cup in the crate. You’ll be emailed a £1 voucher to redeem your deposit at any participating store. Once activated, the voucher will expire after 5 minutes, so only activate it when you’re at the till. If you don’t have a smartphone or experience an issue when using the return point, you can also return your cup at the till point.
How is a Borrow Cup better for the environment than a disposable cup?
Most disposable ‘paper’ cups are often lined with plastic, which is hard to separate from the paper. Unless you put it in a specific cup recycling bin (often found in major coffee shops), it can’t be recycled.
Producing and recycling or throwing away disposable cups can create more carbon emissions than using a reusable cup over and over again. This is why it’s so important to keep reusing or return your Borrow Cup, so we can reduce our environmental impact even more.
We’re working with an independent partner to measure the environmental impact of Borrow Cup compared to disposable cups, which will depend on how many Borrow Cups are used and returned.
Why is the cup plastic?
A lightweight plastic cup has less environmental impact to produce than alternatives such as steel, aluminium or glass. This means that by using plastic instead of another material, the cup requires fewer uses before it starts to have less environmental impact than disposable cups. The cup has also been thoroughly tested and meets the required health and safety standards.
Is it better to use a Borrow Cup or my own reusable cup?
Using a reusable cup helps to reduce waste and our environmental impact, whether that's a Borrow Cup or your own cup, but if you don't have a reusable cup with you then that's where Borrow Cup comes in.
Is it better to use a Borrow Cup or a compostable cup?
Most compostable cups need to be industrially composted, which means they need to go in a specific compostable packaging bin – these can be few and far between! They can’t go in recycling bins and most councils can’t accept them in food waste bins either.
Even if a cup is certified as home compostable, UCL’s ‘Big Compost Experiment’ found that over 60% of home compostable packaging didn’t fully break down after six months!
Why was Glasgow chosen for this project?
There’s lots of stores from the participating brands in Glasgow, meaning there can be lots of locations taking part in Borrow Cup. Scotland is also ahead of the other UK nations in terms of policies around waste reduction, reuse and tackling disposable cups, which may help the project to expand in future. Finally, Reposit are based in Wishaw, meaning the cups can be washed locally and transport distances can be kept to a minimum when collecting and delivering the cups.
Can I get the deposit back if I return someone else’s cup?
Yes
Can I get the deposit back if I return a damaged or stained cup?
Yes. Reposit will check all cups at the washing facility, any cups that aren’t fit to be reused will be sent for recycling.
Can I get the deposit back if I return a cup without a lid?
Yes
*Zero Waste Scotland, 2022, **Keep Scotland Beautiful, 2024, ***Hubbub, 2024
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