Independent cafe chain loses £250,000 from disposable cup ban

Bristol-based cafe chain Boston Tea Party (BTP) lost £250,000 in takeaway coffee sales after it banned disposable cups from its stores, the company confirmed today.

The cafe made headlines last June when it banned single use coffee cups in its 21 branches in England, thought to be a first for a UK chain.

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It was part of an effort to reduce waste in the shops, following a 2017 decision to stop using plastic straws and bottles.

Instead of offering traditional takeaway cups, BTP gave customers a choice between bringing their own reusable cup, buying one in store, or borrowing one against a deposit.

Owner Sam Roberts told City PM the loss was "not a death knell" and the company had "modeled the fact that we would lose business".

Roberts said that while other companies "put profit over impact", BTP knew the ban would be costly and was willing to take the risk.

While no other comparable coffee chain is thought to have copied the policy, with most brands using compostable cups or discounts for reusable cups, Roberts said that the switch is very accessible especially for bigger brands.

He added it is up to companies and customers to resolve the problem because "there is no planet B".

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In addition to banning takeaway cups, the BTP also pledged to donate 10p  for every hot drink it sells – around the cost of a disposable takeaway cup – to local community projects.

According to Roberts, since introducing the ban BTP has stopped 125,000 disposable cups ending up in landfill, sold nearly 35,000 reusable Ecoffee cups, and raised over £12,000 for charity.