Northern Beaches Council plans to support an additional 34 local cafes to set up a ‘swap and go’ takeaway coffee system.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, many local businesses began offering a ‘swap and go’ takeaway coffee service to ensure customers and staff remained safe from the virus.

There are currently more than 30 cafes on the Northern Beaches using either Green Caffeen, Huskee Swap, Returnr or Claycups swap and go systems.

Under the ‘swap and go’ system, customers get their coffee in a reusable cup washed and sanitised in the café, which they can either return to the café or to another café using the same swap system. 

Mayor Michael Regan said: “The systems make sense not only to keep everyone safe, but to also help the environment.

“Australians use one billion disposable coffee cups per year, which generally can’t be recycled and could easily be avoided with a reusable cup.

“The beauty of this system is that if you forget to bring your own cup to the café, or it is inconvenient to do so, you don’t need to get your coffee in a takeaway cup.

“You simply take it away in a swap and go cup which you can return to any participating café at a time of your choosing or when you next order your coffee.

“The figures tell the story. If 50 customers use the system at each café, this has the potential to save 620,500 cups from landfill each year.

“If 200 customers use the system at each café, this could add up to 2.48 million cups, spared from landfill.”

The swap and go systems also make business sense. Based on 50 cups used in one day, each café would save $2,700 a year, due to reduced packaging costs (assuming a disposable coffee cup and lid is 0.15c).

At some busier cafes, based on a daily usage rate of 200, savings could be in the order of $10,900 a year. 

“This year has been challenging for local businesses so it’s great to see a circular economy initiative that can save money too. For some ‘swap and go’ coffee cup systems, the return on investment is instant and others only a few months,” Mayor Regan said.

Eligible cafes can apply through an Expression of Interest on Council’s website. Selected cafes will receive a stock of cups and ongoing support from the Swap for Good team and system providers. 

The Swap for Good team are also hosting a webinar on 10 November at 6pm with a panel of ‘swap and go’ providers to answer all your questions. Register at Council’s website or email SwapForGood@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au.

Media Enquiries: media@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au 9942 2678