Independent business, which has 14 coffee shops across the North West serving more than 700,000 people a year, is introducing a big discount for people bringing reusable cups. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool business district’s biggest coffee shop operator Bean Coffee is stepping up its eco-friendly strategy by offering a big discount fo customers using their own reusable cups.

And the Liverpool-based business, which has 14 coffee shops across the North West serving more than 700,000 people a year, is also determined to reduce the volume of plastic used in its outlets.

Bean runs coffee shops in St Paul’s Square, 20 Chapel Street, Exchange Station and Princes Dock, all within Liverpool’s central business district, as well as an outlet at Brunswick Business Park.

Bigger discount

In 2018, founders Jon Whyte and Vip Bhatt introduced a 10p discount for customers  bringing their own reusable cups, which saved the use of more than 10,000 cups during the year.

They are keen to increase that number so are now offering a 50p discount to people bringing their own cups in a bid to become the the most eco-friendly independent coffee chain in the North West.

Every minute, one million takeaway coffee cups are used and discarded around the world, each taking around 30 years to decompose fully. With the long term implications of single use plastic becoming more recognised throughout society, small steps taken to cut down on usage can end up having a massive impact.

Taken aback

Jon Whyte said: “We were quite taken aback when we saw that the 10p discount had saved the use of over 10,000 cups in a year and it prompted us to think about how we could grow that figure in 2019.

“The 50p offer is one of the biggest discounts offered for reusable cups within the North West region so we’re really committing ourselves to this cause and we would love our customers to join in and help us reach the 100,000 target we’ve set for the next 12 months.”

As well as the 50p campaign, Bean has been implementing other major changes including  their current cups being 100% compostable, wrapping sandwiches in paper instead of plastic bags and the use of paper straws in all stores.

Coffee miles

They also roast their own beans close to their stores to reduce the amount of coffee miles and their shops receive their coffee beans in reusable buckets. And they are working with Everton FC, who have one of their coffee shops within their Liver Building head offices, to eradicate all plastic associated with the in-house coffee shop.

Vip Bhatt added: “We’re really proud of the relationship we’ve built with our customers, we’ve got regulars that have been coming to our stores for years and we strive to create a friendly environment which feels like a community.

“We’d really love to see all those familiar faces come into our stores with their reusable cups and help us drive this campaign forward – and tell their friends about it too.”