The scheme has removed the use of single-use cups from the Blenheim estate by inviting visitors to take away hot drinks served in returnable cups, which come with a £2 deposit.
Once visitors are finished with their drink, they are required to return the reusable cup to one of the on-site return points. Upon its return, the deposit is refunded to the visitor’s digital wallet, providing them with the option of keeping the credit for future use. The cups are then washed onsite and made ready for reuse.
Through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, cups can be tracked at every point in the process, even without being individually scanned.
David Green, head of innovation at Blenheim Palace, said: “We serve 400,000 hot drinks every single year and have the ambition of being carbon neutral by 2027 so the introduction of our returnable cup scheme is a major step towards that goal. The main benefit of the scheme is that we expect to eradicate 30 tonnes of carbon every single year as a result.
“An initial pilot of the returnable scheme saw us choose not to charge a deposit, which led to a certain volume of cups going missing and limiting the scheme’s effectiveness. Adding that deposit element has meant that people have taken more ownership of their waste, which is crucial.”
This scheme is creating interest with like-minded organisations. Blenheim have already hosted visitors from UK’s major retailers, global airports, visitor attractions and industry experts keen to see how this model could work at scale.
To find out more about Circular&Co and its returnable cup concept, visit: circularandco.com/returnable-cup-scheme.