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: Hubbub and reuse start-up Reposit’s solution to make ditching the disposable cup easier than ever, with a simple system to borrow a reusable cup from a cafe or restaurant and return it to any participating location.
Launched in Glasgow in January 2025, Borrow Cup was the first cross-brand collaborative returnable cup scheme in the UK and has had over 50 locations including Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero, Burger King and local cafes.
So how does it work?
The results
- Within 9 months, Borrow Cup was used 67,282 times – that’s once every 5 minutes!
- 78% of cups were returned to store to be washed or refilled
- 64% of Glaswegians surveyed had heard of Borrow Cup, with 200 pieces of press coverage and a comms campaign reaching over 1 million people.
- 93% of customers thought it’s good for businesses to offer Borrow Cup, 90% liked being able to borrow and return at different locations, and 88% agreed it's easy to use.
- Most employees agreed that Borrow Cup is beneficial for businesses to offer and were confident in how it works.
Find out more about our impact and insights from Glasgow:
Ready to embrace reuse?
We’re keen to work with new partners and locations to build on our learnings from Borrow Cup. If you're looking for expert support in communications and behaviour change to reduce waste, or a partner to help you embed reuse into your operations, we’d love to chat.
Based in Glasgow?
If you’re interested in joining Borrow Cup in Glasgow or want to find out more about the Glasgow scheme, visit reposit.world/borrow-cup or get in touch with Reposit at hello@reposit.world
8 recommendations for reuse systems
Maintain an easy borrow and return process, mirroring single-use. A £1 deposit, multiple return locations and clear messaging supports high reuse and return rates, and off-site washing minimises store workload.
A collaborative, city-wide model maximises simplicity, scale, and operational efficiencies. While the vast majority of customers support the collaborative approach, they tend to return their cup to the same store, likely due to habits and loyalty.
Prioritise in-store messaging, staff prompts, and brand-owned channels such as apps. Broader campaigns build awareness, but communications at the key decision point drive uptake.
Secure strong buy-in from leadership and embed reuse into KPIs, and prioritise simple prompts and in-person engagement with employees.
Default or mandatory reuse schemes options will significantly increase participation and reduce reliance on staff advocacy.
A charge on single-use cups will encourage switching to reuse and can fund engagement efforts. Upfront deposits may need adapting if moving to default or mandatory models to enable wider participation.
Semi-closed-loop settings had higher uptake due to longer dwell time and strong staff engagement. Encourage loyal customers at high-street cafés by promoting incentives or exploring co-branded cups.
Use lighter-weight cups to reduce impact and reach environmental break-even after fewer uses. However, consider potential impacts on return rates, durability and operational performance.
*Zero Waste Scotland, 2022, **Keep Scotland Beautiful, 2024, ***Hubbub, 2024
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