The latest green initiative at Lincolnshire Co-op sees food store customers rewarded with 25p in extra dividend when they bring a reusable cup to use at its Costa Express machines.
The scheme is part of the society’s efforts to cut down on single-use cup waste and litter. When dividend card holders fill their reusable cups and take it to the till, colleagues will then add the extra dividend to the members’ card.
Some customers grab a coffee five days a week and Lincolnshire says the refill scheme would save 260 single-use cups and and make them an extra £65 in dividend a year.
Someone who buys one hot drink a week using a reusable cup would save 52 single-use cups and make an extra £13 dividend a year.
Related: How are retail co-ops helping to protect the environment?
Each of the society’s store with a Costa Express machine has a range of rCups on sale; this is the world’s first reusable cup made from recycled single-use coffee cups. They come with a leak-proof lid and an insulated body that keep drinks warm for up to an hour.
Store development manager Matthew Wilkinson is a member of the Society’s environment group, which looks at ways to make the business greener.
“We believe we’re the first Costa Express retailer nationally to offer a reward to our customers for choosing to use a reusable cup,” he said.
“Our Costa Express service is popular, particularly in our petrol stations, and it’s part of what makes us a successful convenience retailer. But as well as providing services our customers want, we also need to look after the local environment.
“We hope this incentive will encourage people to make the switch to reusable cups and reduce the number of single-use cups we issue.”
Lincolnshire Co-op has more than 280,000 dividend card holders who can benefit from this scheme and anyone can sign up to be a member.
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