Dedicated On-Demand Cup Cleaning Station to Enable Reusable Use

Cup waste a priority item for the UK Government in tackling avoidable waste. 2.5 billion single-use cups are disposed of each year in the UK with 99% sent to landfill. 90% of the cost in managing this waste is burdened on the government and taxpayers. In recent years there has been a concerted effort to shift consumer behaviours towards reuse, with initiatives such as a 25p latte levy and reusable cup discounts of up to 50p. Despite this reusable cup use only accounts for 5% of coffee sales. The Scottish Government recognise that the convenience of reusable cups must be improved in order for a cultural change to occur. Independent and WashR research over the last two years consistently found the main barrier to reusable cup use is cleaning the cup between uses. A lack of convenient places for cup cleaning on the go is preventing a change in behaviour towards reuse. In addition, heightened concerns over hygiene due to COVID-19 has resulted in organisations including Starbucks and Costa, reverting to single-use, potentially undoing any progress towards reuse. The proposed solution being developed for this project is WashR. WashR will remove the barriers to habitual use of reusable cups by developing an on-demand, hygienic cup cleaning solution, enabling users to develop a circular approach to drinking on the go.