As countries across Europe continue to ban all kinds of single-use plastics, even as people are waking up to the threat of microplastics, people everywhere agree our plastic usage habits need to change, but are left in need of real alternatives. Fortunately, a number of startups are picking up steam, especially in France and Germany, advancing the development of a circular economy (where the final waste does not end up in the ocean or worse but instead back into new products).
An underrated example of this is RECUP in Germany. Picking up where the Pfand system left off, RECUP aims to swap out commercial cutlery – the cups and bowls for all your takeaway needs. The idea is fairly simple: the restaurant replaces its single-use, disposable packaging with reusable packaging. Even if they don't replace disposables entirely and still offer single-use containers, they can give the option to customers with promo material to explain how it works! Customers pay a 1€ deposit for the RECUP (or 5€ for the REBOWL) when taking it away, and when they return it, the deposit is returned to them. The cups can then be washed normally. When it is eventually disposed of, they are made of completely recyclable material, allowing them to easily be turned back into cups or bowls (or anything else for that matter).
The interesting thing to note is that each cup replaces nearly 1,000 disposable ones, and for caterers and restaurants, it turns out cheaper in the long run. The convergence of reduced costs and sustainability may not be common, but when an idea does put the two together, it really is the obvious choice. So, if you do get the chance to get your coffee and lunch in one of these, go for it! It’s free (as long as you return it)! If you don’t see it, why not ask the coffee shops and restaurants you frequent regularly to give you the option? It works the same way for them! By taking advantage of circular products like RECUP, we can start putting a dent in the billions of cups and plates that get thrown into the seas and landfills every single year.
Abhimanyu Dasgupta
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