Petaluma's Purple Promise: US City Tackles Coffee Cup Waste with Reusable Scheme

Petaluma, California, has become the first US city to introduce a citywide reusable cup program, aiming to combat the mountain of disposable cups that end up in landfills each year.

A line of vibrant purple plastic cups stretches along the counter at Avid Coffee in Petaluma, a charming wine country town north of San Francisco. These cups, emblazoned with the slogan "Sip, Return, Repeat," are part of a groundbreaking initiative aimed at reducing the city's reliance on single-use coffee cups.

Instead of the usual paper or plastic cups, Avid Coffee, along with 30 other local businesses, now offers customers reusable cups, which can be borrowed and returned to one of 60 bins scattered throughout downtown Petaluma. Each cup features a trackable QR code, allowing the program's organisers to monitor its success.

Sam Gearhard, a barista at Avid, reports that the transition has been remarkably smooth. "It's been a really nice and easy adjustment for us," he says, adding that he initially worried about customer acceptance but has been pleasantly surprised.

The initiative is a testament to California's commitment to tackling single-use plastic waste. In 2022, the state passed a law requiring all packaging to be recyclable or compostable by 2032. Last year, Los Angeles County implemented a ban on single-use plastics in restaurants, while Berkeley earlier this year introduced the nation's most comprehensive food packaging law.

Leslie Lukacs, executive director of Zero Waste Sonoma, a local environmental agency, emphasises the urgency of the situation. "We have a really high interest in climate mitigation because we've experienced our own climate challenges," she says, referencing recent wildfires and flooding in the region.

The Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, launched in August, has received positive feedback from both businesses and customers. Bonnie and Claire McDonell, a mother and daughter meeting for lunch, noted that they might choose restaurants based on their reusable cup offerings in the future. Alisha Bright, owner of Fiber Circle Studio, praises the cups' quality, stating they keep beverages cold longer than traditional disposable cups.

The initiative is a collaborative effort, with funding and support from a consortium of corporations, investment firms and startups, including Closed Loop Partners, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Peet's Coffee and Yum! Brands. This group, alongside the city of Petaluma, Zero Waste Sonoma and local recycling program Recology, will study the program's viability and potential for wider adoption.

A key focus of the study will be tracking cup return rates. While reusable cups generally have a higher environmental footprint in production and cleaning, their overall impact is significantly reduced with repeated use. This highlights the importance of successful return schemes.

Jessica Heiges, a project director at environmental consulting firm WSP, highlights the program's key strength: "It makes the reusable option as convenient as the disposable option." Every cup is equipped with a QR code, allowing Closed Loop Partners to collect data on bin usage, cup disposal and potential customer preferences for home pick-ups.

Choosing plastic for the reusable cups was a deliberate decision. Kate Daly, managing director at Closed Loop Partners, explains that while metal, glass and ceramic are ideal for personal or dine-in use, plastic is more practical for takeaway cups due to its lightweight, transportable nature and resilience.

Despite the positive reception, experts acknowledge potential hurdles. Professor Alastair Iles of UC Berkeley warns that the project's success hinges on careful monitoring of return bins, consumer behaviour and business needs. He also notes the deeply ingrained social norm of disposable cup use.

The Petaluma Reusable Cup Project is scheduled to run until November, with its future dependent on its success and potential for expansion. Ashley Harris, owner of Petaluma Coffee and Tea, summarises the local sentiment: "As a coffee shop, we see a crazy amount of waste. It's painful and it's heartbreaking and it's also part of our business. So if there's any way that we could be better, we're going to do it."

Petaluma's innovative program holds the potential to inspire other cities to tackle coffee cup waste and pave the way for a more sustainable future.